Fish fry turns bloody; community tense
A community party in Ocho Rios, St Ann turned bloody Saturday night, October 18, when a gunman opened fire on a man and his companion, killing the woman and seriously wounding the man.
The incident happened at a fish fry, in an informal settlement at 120 Main Street, Pineapple, Ocho Rios.
It was one of several violent incidents in and around the resort town in a period of just over 24 hours.
The other incidents included:
- A shooting in Exchange
- An armed hold-up of a contractor in Pineapple
- A failed attack on the house of a woman in Pimento Walk.
In the murder and wounding in Pineapple, police were unable to identify the woman who is not from the area and who was visiting. The man was identified only as “Skel” and “Bum Bum”. Police were reluctant to give his name and up to Sunday evening were questioning him.
Police could not confirm that “Bum Bum” had a matter before the courts. No motive was established although people in the area said the woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Reports to the North Coast Times are that close to midnight a fish fry was in full swing when a man and a woman were chatting among the crowd, and were walking towards the main road.
A youth armed with a gun began firing at the two, sending patrons screaming and running. The woman was hit once in the head and in the upper body and ran to a nearby gate column where she collapsed in a pool of blood. The man who was shot ran further down an unpaved drive way that leads to the community and collapsed on a small barbecue near to the offices of a private security company.
The gunman reportedly walked away.
The two who had been shot were taken to hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The man who was seriously wounded reportedly called the name of the shooter several times.
Police would not say if they had the name of the killer but were interviewing “Bum Bum” the man who had been shot. A police officer said they had strong leads in their investigations that were in the early stages.
One officer appealed to members of the community to cooperate with the police. “A lot of decent, law abiding citizens live in that community. We want them to help us keep law and order. They must do their part. We appeal to them to tell us what they know,” the officer told The Times.”Just call or come to the police.”
Area residents told this newspaper that the area was tense and they feared reprisals. No one near the home of the wounded man was willing to speak to The Times.
EXCHANGE & PINEAPPLE
And in Middle Street, Exchange, on the same evening, Saturday, reports are that a firearm was discharged at a dance and two people were shot. They were taken to hospital. No details were available.
The evening before, Friday, October 17, a contractor working with Jamaica Grande Resort, where refurbishing was underway, was held at gunpoint and robbed of over $235,000, in Pineapple, less than half mile away from the scene of Saturday night’s shooting and murder. Reports are that the man had the payroll for some of his employees and had gone to a bar in the area and had been drinking. He was followed outside, held up and robbed.
And on Thursday, residents of a section of Pimento Walk reportedly chased three armed men into a gully. Reports are the men had gone to a house and had been trying to enter it when the lone occupant, a woman began screaming for help. One of the men fired a shot before residents began chasing them. They escaped.
