Manchester robbers beg for their lives on TikTok live
Published:Monday | December 9, 2024 | 12:10 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Popular social media platform TikTok and its live feature have been featured in two separate incidents, a murder and a fugitive surrender operation, in less than 24 hours in Jamaica between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
The incidents took no time in gathering audiences from across the globe, highlighting, in many respects, the level of crime locally, and, on the other hand, technology.
In the most recent incident yesterday afternoon, four men who were allegedly part of a group of robbers, locked themselves in the storeroom of a Spalding supermarket, where they had gone to carry out a robbery.
The security forces were hot on their heels and foiled the robbery.
This led to a reported hostage situation, and during negotiations, at least one of the would-be robbers went live from handle @red_one766 and began to plead for their lives.
“We want surrender but … we never plan fi do nothing. Better life we want, enuh. Better life we want … . A college me a go, enuh. Tru you nuh know, tru the ting set a way,” one of the men said during the live.
“Never did a expect fi deh ya so,” another one could be heard saying.
“Officer, we unarmed … . Unu, share the live. Officer we want surrender … . Squaddy, unuh win, mon,” one of the men said while encouraging another of the robbers to show his gunshot wound.
“Try get to them (the police) … . We surrender. Do! Nuh mek dem kill we,” one of the robbers could be heard telling the live viewers.
The police were banging on the metal door to the storeroom and subsequently gained entry.
The police recovered four illegal firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle.
Two policemen were reportedly injured after gunfire was exchanged earlier during the standoff.
Up to press time, scene-of-crime detectives were still processing the scene.
In the murder incident Saturday, popular TikToker Niah Gang, 23, was gunned down while doing a live in his Old Harbour, St Catherine, community.
The deadly shooting occurred about 9 p.m. while he was in the company of another man and playing a TikTok match remotely with another TikTok account.
Viewers could hear explosions then saw as Niah, given name Xavier Fogah, and the man ran out of the live shot.
More explosions followed before viewers heard screams and shouts for help. It was later revealed that Niah had been killed while the other man escaped.
The St Catherine South police are probing the murder.