Two extortionists shot dead
TWO men were shot dead, and another seriously injured, in an alleged shoot-out between gang members and a licensed firearm holder at a construction site at Braemar Avenue in New Kingston yesterday.
The dead men were identified as Alrick “Tata” Simpson, 32, and Kevin Hunter, 21, who was also called Ninja. Both lived on Swallowfield Road, Kingston 5.
Police have withheld the name of the injured man who is said to be critically wounded and is under police guard in hospital.
Police say that Simpson was part of the notorious Joel Andem Gang and believe that the other two were also part of the group of hardcases who catapulted to national prominence earlier this year when a videotape was found at one of their hide-outs, showing gang members cavorting and openly parading guns at a Christmas treat they hosted for children in a rural St Andrew community.
The Andem Gang, led by Joel Andem, was also believed to have been behind the kidnap and murder 16 months ago of service station owner, Sylvia Edwards.
Simpson was arrested and charged for that murder but was released on bail, with a condition that he report to the Half-Way-Police Station once every fortnight. He was to have reported yesterday.
According to the police, the gunfight started when several gunmen turned up at the construction site at about 9:00 am, to demand extortion money. According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen had travelled on motorcycles and in a motor car.
Witnesses said that some of the gangsters entered the site while others stayed back. When their extortion demand was rebuffed the men pulled guns, firing indiscriminately.
A licensed firearm holder who was at the site returned the fire, cutting down Simpson and Hunter on the spot. A third person later turned up at hospital with gunshot wounds.
“This gang believes they control this area, something which people also allow them to believe,” said police corporal Troy Anderson. “But this time they were challenged by the licensed firearm holder working at the site.”
Police did not find any guns at the site, but it is believed the gang was armed with regular handguns.
“We found a number of empty shells on the ground, and a number of those belonged to 9mm handguns,” Anderson said. Police were yesterday searching the compound for weapons.
In a grey Toyota motor car, which the gangsters left at the site, police found several motor vehicle licence plates, which they believed were to have been utilised to throw the police off track when the car was used for different crimes.
The car is registered to someone called Donovan St Patrick, the police said, but St Patrick’s address was not immediately available.
Anderson said that “one or two suspects” had been detained by the police.
“The police are currently following strong leads to catch those responsible for this, and we have certain information to work with,” he said. “We should very soon be able to find them.”