Fear grips residents after Weise Road killing

Weise Road residents in Bull Bay, St Andrew, say they will remember 50-year-old Ricardo “Ted” James playing marbles with children hours before he met his demise Thursday at the hands of gunmen.

This was the type of camaraderie they had grown accustomed to from the senior, who they described as very loving, kind and jovial.

James, who is originally from the area, was one of four people, including two teens, who were shot as they sat at the front of a shop shortly after 8 p.m.

“Him love kids. Him very, very jovial. Mi can’t stop picture how mi see him a play marble with the kids dem di same day,” a female resident said.

The residents who spoke with The Gleaner when the news team visited the community said they were living in fear.

“We need the prime minister to intervene cause a bare innocent people a get hurt. Dem say storm a come but we have a bigger storm weh pass through here anytime it ready, crime and murder,” a resident said, glancing over her shoulders.

The Gleaner was told that James was also a ‘peacemaker’, usually the one to calm things down.

“Him smart enough so as an elder him always a try fi show another alternative,” a male resident said.

The residents say they are not sure what caused the latest flare-up of violence, but said the attackers came for blood.

“Dem come out of the car and shoot up the yard. The man dem run and dem shoot up the shop, everything in deh mash up,” a resident said.

A woman told The Gleaner that businesses in the area were not generating any revenue as some persons were making their exodus, while others stayed strictly indoors.

The Bull Bay police say the investigation is ongoing.

The Kingston Eastern Police Division has seen a 55 per cent increase in murders year-to-date.

Murder recorded for the division stands at 45, since January 1, when compared to 29 last year.

The overall murder count for the country stands at 707, as at July 1.