Lead Stories

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Members of a police-military team patrol Salt Spring, St James, yesterday. - Photo by Adrian Frater

Western Bureau:

One woman was shot dead, six houses torched and an entire community left traumatised as heavily armed thugs wreaked havoc in volatile Salt Spring, St James, between late Tuesday night and early yesterday morning.

The dead woman, who received more than 30 bullet wounds, has been identified as 38-year-old Cecelia Coke, a resident of Salt Spring. Her body was still in the open lot where she was killed up to midday - several hours after she was murdered.

Non-stop shooting

"It must be a miracle that only one person was killed as it was non-stop shooting from 2 a.m. until daylight," a female resident told The Gleaner .

"When the shooting started, I just slide under my bed with my children ... we spent the rest of the night praying that no harm would come to us."

Reports are that, approximately 2 a.m., a party was in full swing in the Meggie Top area of Salt Spring when men armed with high-powered guns invaded the event, firing a barrage of shots. Several persons were reportedly injured, at least one woman by a bullet, as partygoers fled in panic.

As the brazen attack unfolded, the invading gangsters set fire to the truck that transported the sound system that was playing in the area. Several speaker boxers and otheritems belonging to the sound-system operator were also burnt.

Persons fleeing the Meggie Top shooting ran into more trouble in another section of the community as they encountered more heavily armed men firing shots with impunity and setting houses on fire. It was at that time Coke was reportedly killed.

The first group of firefighters to enter the area shortly after daybreak were reportedly prevented from challenging the fires by rifle-bearing thugs who stood guard to ensure the houses were completely gutted.

39 people homeless

"When we got here, we discovered that some six houses were burnt," said District Officer Terri-Ann Leslie of the St James Fire Department. "We are not able to put a dollar value on the damage at this time but we can confirm that 39 persons, including nine children, are now homeless."

When The Gleaner visited the area just before midday, a large contingent of police and soldiers were conducting house-to-house searches as frightened residents looked on in stony silence.

"The situation is now under control," said Senior Superintendent of Police Paul Ferguson, operations officer for Area One (Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland).

"We have a strong security team on the ground and we will be maintaining a presence as long as is necessary to assure the law-abiding citizens that we are here for them."

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com