Tension has risen in the wider Ocho Rios area over violence in Parry Town following the shooting death of a man there, Sunday, January 4.
Dead is 21-year-old Gladstock Blackwood otherwise called Junior of Parry Town, near the resort town of Ocho Rios. Blackwood’s bullet-riddled body was found near the playfield in the community by a resident about 7:05 am. Police have provided no details about how the man was killed.
Residents told the North Coast Times that several gunshots were heard at about 1 a.m. Sunday. They say this has become a usual occurrence in the community. Police describe the community as one of the most ‘troubled’ areas in the parish especially in the Capture Land area.
STREET DANCE
The killing came only days after police said they were fired on in Parry Town when they went to the area, New Year’s Eve. Police said they exchange fire with gunmen and, after the shooting, recovered a pistol and a magazine with 16 rounds of ammunition. Police said they had gone to the area over reports of gunfire and a gun salute at a street dance. They said they held no one after the incident.
People in the area have been reporting regular shooting at night and have complained about robberies and hold ups in the area and nearby communities, with large numbers of squatters. The latest hold up took place last Wednesday when a taxi operator and a female passenger were reportedly held up at gun point and robbed.The killing marks the first recorded murder in the parish since the start of the year last week.
