A young woman and a man were murdered on Christmas Day along March Pen Road in Spanish Town, St Catherine. The pair, a 30-year bar operator named Shaneil Myers and a 28-year-old male named Shamar Hall, were gunned down even as police maintained a visible presence in the area.
According to police, both of the victims lived along March Pen Road. Reports indicate that the attack took place shortly after 6:00 p.m., during what appeared to be a gathering at a premises along the roadway. According to the Jamaica Observer, Myers and Hall were and several others were gathered at the location when armed men showed up.
The perpetrators entered the premises and began shooting into the crowd, hitting Myers and Hall. The chaos that ensued reportedly resulted in Hall collapsing at the scene of the shooting. Meanwhile, Myers attempted to flee and ran toward a nearby churchyard, and collapsed on the ground. Both victims were assisted and transported to the hospital, but were pronounced dead after arrival.
According to the media, unconfirmed information suggests that hours after the double murder, police on patrol intercepted a group of armed men. The encounter reportedly escalated into a shootout. During that exchange, one of the men was allegedly shot and killed by officers.
Authorities have yet to officially release confirmation regarding the circumstances surrounding the alleged shootout, and the identity of the deceased has not yet been established.
The Christmas Day attack has added to the sense of unease in a community already grappling with repeated shootings and instability. The incident unfolded despite an increased police presence in the community. The atmosphere surrounding March Pen has been tense in recent months.
The area has remained on edge after the area lost an alleged don to gun violence earlier this year. Since that killing, there have been repeated violent incidents. Reports say at least three people have since been killed in clashes linked to rival gang factions.
