THE SPANISH Town community in St. Catherine was rocked
by another drive-by shooting on Monday night, the second in three days.
One more person was shot and killed and two others injured in the latest incident. This has pushed the number of persons killed since Friday night in drive-by shootings in the old capital to seven. Six are nursing gunshot wounds.
According to police records, at least 25 persons have been killed and 45 shot and injured in 65 reported cases of drive-by shootings across the country since the start of the year.
The latest victim of the bloody gun violence in Spanish Town has been identified as 32-year-old Andrew Western, who was a delivery clerk employed to Phil's Hardware in Greendale, Spanish Town. His girlfriend, Coleen Smith, was shot in the left leg and has since been hospitalised. The third victim of Monday night's shooting was said to be grazed by a bullet while walking along Monk Street.
There are reports that the police have seized a white motor car which, according to residents, was involved in a series of drive-by shootings, in the adjoining communities of Spanish Town.
More than 15 persons were also detained yesterday and a .357 Magnum revolver seized during an operation conducted in the Ellerslie Pen community.
FIRING WILDLY
At the time of Monday night's shooting in the quiet New Nursery area of Spanish Town, there was a reported power cut in the area. It is alleged that a white motor car with several men aboard drove up to the couple and began firing wildly. Miss Smith jumped into a nearby canal to save her life. She and her fiancé were returning from a shop in the area, where they had gone to purchase candles.
"Him was the breadwinner in a de house. When me fe go a doctor a him carry me. A don't know wey me a go do now," said an emotional Zipporah Vernal, Mr. Western's 65-year-old stepmother.
