A mass shooting in central Kingston ended with two children, two teenagers, and two others being shot and injured. The six victims were among a group of people gathered at the intersection of Text Lane and Charles Street, where a drive-by occurred on Tuesday night.
A vehicle reportedly drove up, and its occupants opened fire on the unsuspecting group before speeding away. When the chaos subsided, six people, including two nine-year-olds, were left wounded. The injured were rushed to the hospital, where they are receiving treatment. No deaths have been reported at this time.
Head of the Kingston Central Police Division, Superintendent Beresford Williams, said officers are already on the ground to maintain calm and prevent any retaliation. “We are taking a pre-emptive approach to secure the place to prevent any reprisals,” he shared in a statement to Observer Online.
The shooting in Kingston follows Sunday’s tragedy in Commodore, Linstead, where five people, including a four-year-old girl, were killed in another brutal attack. In that incident, nine people were shot while gathered on a premises popularly known as “Big Yard”.
The mass shooting occurred when armed men dressed in police uniforms entered the yard, announcing themselves as law enforcement before opening fire. That attack ended with the deaths of people from the Linstead area.
Four-year-old Rosemount Primary and Infant School student Shannon Gordon, who resided in Orange Park, Charliemount, sustained multiple fatal shots. The other deceased are forty-two-year-old Mario Sullivan, nineteen-year-old Jushane Edwards, thirty-nine-year-old vendor Iysha Washington, and twenty-two-year-old security guard “Famous Amos”.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips, head of Area 5, described the situation as deeply troubling, especially with reports that the attackers were dressed as police officers. He confirmed that a “team of top investigators” has been assigned to the case, and early findings suggest the incident may have stemmed from an ongoing gang conflict.