MONTEGO BAY, St James

Senior investigators probing two recent homicides committed at the Old Shoe Market located on Creek Street here in the resort city, are theorising that the killings were the result of backlashes from the operation of an extortion racket in which vendors in the arcade are targeted.

According to an usually impeccable Observer West police source, one of the extortionists' modus operandi is to demand " shoes and other clothing item from the vendors and step out of the arcade without paying for them".

However, the high-ranking police officer was not prepared to divulge further information for fear of impeding ongoing investigation.

Last Thursday, shoppers seeking last minute Valentines Day presents at the arcade had to scampered for their lives after a brazen armed attack which left 27-year-old higgler Dion Williams of a Rose Heights address dead.

Williams was seated at the entrance of the market when he was pounced upon by armed men who sprayed him with bullets.

That fatal shooting follows closely on another at the facility last month, in which two men were shot, one fatally.

Meanwhile, the Observer West have learned that vendors at the market have been fearful for their lives but are not prepared to comment publicly on the situation.

In the meantime, the police have also allege that recently, the arcade has become a sanctuary for robbers who prey upon nearby commercial entities in the hub of the tourist capital.

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