It was a case of deja vous for residents in the Bain and Grants Town constituency Tuesday evening as the inner city counted its second double shooting incident within the span of 42 hours, which left one man dead and another man fighting for his life in hospital.
The country’s most recent homicide unfolded on Parker Street shortly after 7:00 p.m. yesterday, police confirmed.
“All we can say thus far is that persons were here in this location, sitting on a truck, after playing a game of basketball. They were reportedly sitting there relaxing when they were approached by a lone gunman who opened fire,” stated Solomon Cash, Chief Superintendent, Central Detective Unit (CDU).
“Two men were subsequently shot. One man succumbed to his injuries at the scene and the other man was transferred to hospital where he is currently receiving medical attention.”
Cash said the men involved in the Parker Street shooting are believed to be in their mid-twenties.
Tuesday’s shooting came on the heels of another similar incident Sunday evening which occurred on Dorsett Alley off West Street.
Two men were on a parked motorcycle when they were approached by a lone gunman who opened fire, police affirmed.
One man was killed and the second man was rushed to hospital for medical attention.
Cash confirmed that investigations revealed that Sunday’s shooting incident was found to be gang-related.
He was unable to confirm to Eyewitness News if Tuesday’s incident was linked to gang activity.
He was also unable to confirm if the latest homicide was a retaliation to Sunday’s shooting incident.
In the wake of the recent spate of violent shootings in the Bain & Grants Town community, Cash confirmed that authorities will beef-up their patrols within the inner-city community.
“You will see an increase in police resources in this area and that will hopefully help to eliminate these kinds of criminal activities in this particular area,” he noted.
“This area can look forward to more police patrols and also officers on foot patrol as well.”
Yesterday’s tragedy also brought back painful memories for one resident whose son was gunned down in her front yard which sits less than 20 feet away from the crime scene.
The eyewitness who spoke with Eyewitness News Tuesday evening recalled the 2011 incident and revealed that the most recent homicide reopened the emotional wounds she experienced seven years ago.
“I was in my room when I heard the gunshots. I bent down when I heard them and then I got up because I didn’t hear any hollering. Because I be listening for holler, but didn’t hear no hollering” she exclaimed.
“Then, my daughter called me outside and told me that two people were on the ground. I ran outside and when I saw who it was, it was nothing that I could do so I just walked back in my yard and started crying because I remember my time [when I lost my son].”
The elderly resident said crime seems to be spiralling out of control.
“It look like we trying to get like Jamaica, America and Haiti because it [crime] is getting high,” she stated.
She opined that police could do more to ensure that their presence is consistently felt within the community.
“In the United States, just like how Super Value is right around the corner here and City Market down the corner there, they would have a police car stationed at those places; so you see that their response time to crime scenes in the area isn’t usually long. But, we don’t have that here” she said.
“We do not have that kind of connection. So, we need more police on patrol at each stop and we should have sufficient cars and for cars to be stationed at positions which are trouble hot spots.”
Travis Robinson, Member of Parliament for Bain & Grants Town was at his residence on Augusta Street at the time of the shooting.
He claimed that he also heard the gunshots which pierced through his constituency.
He told Eyewitness News Tuesday that while his community is hurting, it will find the strength to be resilient.
“It’s a hurtful time for us but, this isn’t something that we haven’t gone through already and just like the previous times we will prevail and triumph over this,” he said.
“I had an opportunity to speak with the mother and father [of the murder victim] and offered words of encouragement and support for them.”
Police have not yet identified the men killed in the Dorsett Alley and Parker Street homicides.
Authorities have also not given any updates on the condition of the men who were hospitalized from both incidents.
Police investigations into both matters are ongoing, according to authorities.
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