The woman who was killed during a game of bingo was gunned down by armed men in a motor vehicle. Official reports confirmed that the victim, 50-year-old Janet Baker, was in Park Lane, off Red Hills Road in St Andrew, where a split-bingo and round-robin event was being held last Sunday night when she was attacked.
Moon 10 initially shared that unconfirmed sources linked a motorcycle incident that was caught on camera with the shooting, but authorities made no mention of this in their report. Officials detailed that the tragedy occurred just after 9 p.m., when a car drove up to the gathering. The gunmen began shooting at Baker, who police believe was the intended target.
She was found suffering from gunshot wounds and taken to the hospital, but did not survive. Later that same day, St Andrew North Police Division detectives investigated the scene and surrounding areas for several hours. Park Lane is a community already burdened by years of gang-related tension, and the recent homicide has reignited concerns.
By Monday morning, the atmosphere was heavy. “The place tense. Tense bad,” one resident said, choosing not to give a name. It was not the first act of violence the community has faced this year, and many worry it will not be the last.
Park Lane is once again under scrutiny, and nearby areas such as 100 Lane are corridors frequently caught in ongoing feuds and unpredictable flare-ups. Residents say the violence wears them down, affecting everything from their livelihood to their sense of safety. “December just start.… Every year dem time ya, Park Lane have murder or shooting,” another resident shared. “The business dem on the main a go feel di pinch.”
Red Hills Road vendors also express similar concerns, some of whom have experienced a steady decrease in customer turnout. Vendors said they especially lose business at night, which they can not afford to allow to happen. He admitted that simple tasks like selling food have become stressful because they must stay alert at all times.
Some businesses have already bowed to the pressure. One resident recalled that Sugar and Spice once operated in the area before its closure, which many believe was linked to extortion. Birdshack later opened in the same location but closed within a year, adding to concerns that the area’s reputation is pushing away potential investors.
“Red Hills Road is not the same,” another resident lamented. “Yellow tape just a draw so ’bout the place.… It just non-stop.”
Police acknowledge that the cluster of lanes branching off Red Hills Road remains one of the division’s most challenging pockets, often requiring constant monitoring. In response to Sunday night’s killing, authorities have imposed a 48-hour curfew in Park Lane and 100 Lane, running from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Wednesday. Investigators are urging anyone with information to contact the Constant Spring Police Criminal Investigation Branch.