The St Ann police are reporting that the first murder of the year recorded in the parish, in Steer Town, is gang related.
Dead is 22-year-old Gavel Bailey, alias Mad Dog and Johnny of Gaza in Steer Town
Reports from the St Ann’s Bay police are that about 2:30 pm on Monday, January 2, Bailey was walking along the roadway when he was approached by a man.
Explosions were heard and shortly after, residents found Bailey lying on his back with gunshot wounds.
The police were called to the scene and Bailey was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to head of the St Ann police, superintendent Gary Francis, Bailey’s murder was as a result of gang members of the ‘Dust’ gang fighting among themselves in Steer Town.
Supt Francis said that no breakthrough has yet been made in the murder, but the police have been doing a number of interventions in Steer Town.
He said that a meeting was held last Friday, January 6 to appeal to residents of the area to work with the police to bring peace to the area.
The meeting came following a series of incidents in the community said to be as a result of infighting among members of the Dust gang. There are reports of a stabbing, shooting and a murder as a result of this internal gang feud which started late last year.
At the meeting, Supt Francis said of the 53 murders in St Ann last year approximately seven were in the Steer Town area. During the last quarter of 2016, four guns were recovered in the Steer Town community.
He further pointed out to residents that murders have increased significantly in St Ann over the last three years and urged citizens to play their part to reduce murders.
Also at the meeting, Francis listed a number of persons of interest in the community.
Among those from Steer Town asked to visit the St Ann’s Bay Police Station are: Jason Hibbert, also called ‘Black Ants’; Christopher Brown also called ‘Dust man’; Jermaine Peddler also known as Tom; Keeno McTaggart; Marvin Demitrius also called Jucky; Oneil Turner also called ‘Gazaman’; Jermaine Robinson also called Sniper, and Jermaine Turner.
