Revelation behind Spring Village gun attack that leaves three dead

Old Harbour News can also confirm that the deceased are Sasha-Gay Eubanks otherwise called Tamara, Jerome Squire, alias Coolie and uncle of Eubanks and another man so far identified only as ‘Curry’.

All three persons killed are residents of the community of Spring Village.

Six other persons are now hospitalized nursing gunshot wounds, but the state of their conditions is unknown.

The incident occurred about 4:45 pm at the Best Dressed Chicken community playfield where some 300 spectators were watching an inter-departmental football competition hosted by the Jamaica Broilers subsidiary.

But the game ended abruptly when “two cars: a white [Toyota] Mark X and a white [Nissan] Tiida actually came into the space and one man from the Mark X came out with an automatic weapon and shot and kill three persons and then injured the other six”, Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey told Old Harbour News.

“It’s one of those situations that beg the question that whether or not what we are faced with in Jamaica is normal. For some people this is normal but this is not normal in any other self-respecting country.”

Based on preliminary investigation so far, DCP Bailey said: “I learn that they came for one individual (Jerome Squire) and it is a dispute over an illegal firearm that went missing and the person was shot and killed actually and then they just turn the weapon on the rest of the people. What is the rationale for that? Is this to incite terror and fear?

“We talk about upgrading our legislation, I believe what we need is legislation that categorise these types of crimes separately from the ordinary crime; because I think this borders on domestic terrorism because the intention is to incite fear, is to intimidate. And when you look at the concept of terrorism that’s one of the rationale behind it, so I believe that whatever classification they want to give crimes like these where the persons who are behind these types of crime are named and classified so that it impacts on even them doing things in Jamaica and it give the police and the security force a little more leverage, freedom, space to operate because of the classification.”

Other accounts from alleged eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen were challenged by licensed firearm holders at the game but they managed to escape.

The incident has jolted the community as family members and friends mourn the loss of Eubanks, who has died leaving her 14-year-old son behind.

In a statement release via the media, the Best Dressed Chicken company said it “is shocked and extremely saddened by the shooting that took place on Sunday afternoon” while offering condolences “to the families who have lost their loved ones”.

“The matter is being investigated by the police and we trust that justice will be served,” it added. The company has advised staff in an internal memo that work will commence at 12 noon tomorrow to facilitate grief counseling session for employees, many of whom were at the game when the shooting happened.

Eubanks, who is in her early 30s and Squire works at The Best Dressed Chicken factory for a firm contracted by the company, while ‘Curry’ is said to be a part-time labourer there who is employed on a needs basis.

Both Squire and ‘Curry’ have been under the police radar for some time now after being fingered in recent crimes in the community, the police alleged.

They have been detained by the Old Harbour police on allegations of robbery and theft on more than one occasion, an investigator informed Old Harbour News. But on each occasion was released due to lack of evidence and victims refusing to come forward, the police disclosed.