Two injured as gunmen trade bullets in August Town

A daring gunfight between rival thugs in August Town, St Andrew, on Tuesday has caused fear for residents of Bryce Hill Road who believe that an all-out gang war is forthcoming.

In the aftermath of the five-minute shootout, the police said they recovered two illegal firearms from atop a roof and several assorted rounds from one of the shooters while he was hiding in the back of a nearby yard. The police stated that he was taken to hospital for treatment. The report also stated that another man later turned up at hospital with gunshot wounds, reporting that he was injured in the same area.

An eyewitness told our news team that he was just about to venture out when he heard the loud explosions.

"Mi a say a cyah shot that a fire because round yah a gwan good from wah day. Mi just about fi pull mi gate and sit with mi brethren dem on the front page and look out, enuh, when mi hear 'blow'! Mi ease back inna mi yard and same time mi hear more shots start to fire," the man said. Another resident said she has not left her home since Tuesday.

"Not even mi front pipe mi go from this incident happen. Mi just a shake so till. I have business to go on the road to conduct but I am not leaving my house because I don't know when and where things ago happen," she said.

Head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, disclosed that the men were criminals who the police have had on their radar for some time.

"Yes, they are involved in several gang activities in the August Town area. One is from the Hermitage area and the other is from Jungle 12, Bryce Hill Road area. We can't finger them at the moment for anything in particular but I know that they are involved in guns," said Nesbeth.

He added that the police are likely to proffer other charges on to the men.

"We will work through that sometime in the future, but we have other aspects of the investigation that can tie them to the situation. We are also hoping that witnesses come forward and cooperate with the police and assist us in the investigation," he said.

- R.M.