Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
The charred remains of a house and a car in Gordon Pen, St. Catherine, that were firebombed early yesterday morning. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
FIVE HOUSES were fire-bombed in the Love Lane area of Gordon Pen, St. Catherine, yesterday, leaving 17 people homeless.
According to residents, at 1:45 a.m. they heard a barrage of explosions and spotted men lobbing Molotov cocktails into houses. At least three of the homes were not occupied at the time of the attack.
Pastor Natasha McKenzie and her husband Desmond, who resided at 6 Love Lane, breathed a sigh of relief that they were not in the house when it was firebombed.
CHILDREN RESCUED
"Me dear sah, mi lickle two-year-old son was sleeping and me hear one whole heap a gunshot. The next thing I know is that someone fling a bottle with fire pon de house and it start to blaze. I ran into the room where my two children were sleeping, I grabbed them by dem foot and throw dem outside. Me hear di shot continue and the fire blazing. A grab on to the fire extinguisher and put out the blaze," said Mr. McKenzie.
He also showed the news team his Toyota Tercel motor car which was riddled with holes. The walls of the house were also pockmarked with holes caused by bullets fired by the rampaging gunmen.
Several residents contended that the modus operandi of the gangs is to attack in large groups, and to terrorise the community by firebombing houses, forcing residents to relocate. The attacks have been occurring since last October.
Yesterday's early morning attack followed that of Monday morning when a shop and house were firebombed and burnt to the ground. These residents have also left the community.
FLEEING RESIDENTS
While The Gleaner news team was on location, several residents were seen stuffing their possessions into black plastic bags and garbage bags.
"Me nah stay yah fi dem kill me. Me have me pickney dem fi live for," said one young woman, as she and 10 relatives crammed into a single taxi to ferry them away to safety.
Councillor for the area, Hopeton Rose, who visited the affected residents, said that he is fed up with the recurring incidents of gun violence in the community.
"It is hard to invest your money to build a life, only to see it go up in flames. There has to be a better way," Councillor Rose remarked.
In the meantime, the Spanish Town police have promised to step up operations in the area to return normality to the community.
