More residents flee Denham Town

Junior Dowie
An abandoned child walks along lonely Race Course Lane in Denham Town, yesterday, after it was vacated by families fleeing the political violence which has been affecting West Kingston for several weeks now.

Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter

SPORADIC SHOOTINGS and more killings in the troubled communities of western Kingston and southern St. Andrew between factions from Wilton Gardens (Rema) and their Denham Town neighbours, continued yesterday, forcing another exodus of residents.

"This morning (Friday) we had to escort a woman from Race Course Lane to Greenwich Street," Deputy Superintendent Delroy Hewitt told The Gleaner yesterday.

The victims were again those living close to the "political border line" of Race Course Lane and Greenwich Street, which the gunmen use as a battlefield.

On Wednesday, the body of a 26-year-old man, "Jah" Roy Wizzard, otherwise called "Ray" of Tavares Cresent, Kingston 14, was found with gunshot wounds to the head and chest at an abandoned construction site on Race Course Lane.

The following day gunmen invaded a section of the area firing shots from high-powered weapons. Since then there have been sporadic shootings.

Yesterday people could be seen fleeing from sections of a settlement of mostly wooden houses on Greenwich Street known as "Reggae Villa". Others were also leaving Albert Street.

"I dont know where I am going, I have nowhere to go. I am planning to just drive around with the furniture in my vehicle until I find somewhere," said one of the residents moving out from Race Course Lane.

According to Superintendent Hewitt, the police have the situation under control. He pointed out that there was no large exodus from the area and that the violence was coming from both communities.

Heavily armed police and soldiers patrolled the area but, according to the residents, the gunmen watch the movements of the lawmen before launching their attacks.

In light of the violence, several parents say they will not be sending their children to schools in the war-torn areas at the beginning of the next school year.

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