Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
WHEN LEILA Webb heard the news that one of her son's best friends was murdered at Langard Avenue along Waltham Park Road Saturday morning, mother's instinct spurred her to warn him not to open his business place, located at nearby Berwick Road.
"Ah sey 'Desmond don't open the shop today 'cause yuh si what going on an' yuh don't know the position'," Ms. Webb, 63, told The Gleaner yesterday.
Desmond Webb, 49, did not heed the warning. He was shot and killed, allegedly by gunmen, at his business place hours later.
Police reported that Mr. Webb was one of four persons murdered in separate incidents on Saturday at Langard Avenue and Berwick Road. The first was that of Mr. Webb's friend, 38-year-old Michael Turner, also known as 'JJ', who police say was gunned down at 7:25 a.m.
Six hours later, Mark Wessam, 35, and 22-year-old bartender Kerone Rowe, were found with gunshot wounds at Langard Avenue. Both were taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
REPRISAL KILLINGS
His mother said Mr. Webb, who was shot eight times, was killed shortly after 6:00 p.m.
"I went up the road to buy something an' coming down I heard gunshots an' about two minutes after, somebody come an' tell mi sey 'dem kill yuh son'," Ms. Webb said.
Yesterday, Superintendent Newton Amos of the St. Andrew South Police Division, told The Gleaner that no arrests have been made in any of the killings. He said there were suspects and warrants were being prepared for their arrests.
Mr. Amos did not say if the incidents were related or part of a dispute between thugs from the neighbouring communities of Mission and Berwick Road, and Langard Avenue. A woman who said she is the mother of one of Mr. Webb's five children believes he was the victim of the violence that has wracked the area for months.
"Is a revenge fi revenge, if I step pon your toe you step back pon my toe," said the woman, who gave her name as Clover.
Ms. Webb said Desmond Webb was the eldest of her four children. He opened the grocery/bar two years ago, shortly after his return from the United States, where he had lived for 12 years.
