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Padlocked gates, empty houses and a mattress that leaned on a wall on 5th Street in Trench Town, St Andrew, yesterday told the story of the fear that has blanketed the space. Just last week, the avenue was buzzing with excitement but now the area is ghosted as many of the residents, mainly women, have began fleeing their homes.

This followed the killing of a woman on 4th Street on Saturday afternoon.

A woman, who took her family out of the community, said she did so out of an abundance of caution.

"Mi leave because mi know what a guh happen. A bare little talk yuh hear a make ... Talk a make say a four woman dem want and I don't want to be the second one so mi leave," she said.

Rising tensions

On Saturday, 59-year-old Cynthia Robinson of 4th Street was killed by gunmen while one of her relatives was shot and injured. The incident took place even though a curfew was imposed in the community amid rising tensions. Reports are that about 2:40 p.m., police were on patrol in the area when they heard explosions. They proceeded to the area to investigate, where they saw both persons on the ground with gunshot wounds. They were assisted to the hospital, where Robinson died.

The shooting follows the death of 41-year-old Trace Newland, who was among four persons shot at a nine-night in the community last Wednesday. The nine-night was for another murder victim, Debbie Eaton, a higgler, who died at the hands of gunmen late last year. Residents theorise that the incidents are related.

Meanwhile, one of Robinson's relatives told THE STAR yesterday that neither she nor the man who was shot were involved in criminality. He said that her house was firebombed by thugs approximately two years ago, and she was in the process of rebuilding.

"She did take time a try put things together and she would call me sometimes and ask mi if I could help her to buy little blocks and so on. Now she naah go get a chance to build it," he said.

"Cynthia never deserve this at all. None a dem nuh deserve this," he said. "Mi feel it fi her kids because when mi see her son, her only son, him consume with grief until him start take up her blood off di ground. Mi see her daughter this morning (yesterday) a smoke and that little girl don't smoke any at all. She was telling me she want somewhere to stay. Mi family nuh do anything and is like we a target," he added.

Crimminals are one step ahead

The man said the police are trying their best to control the violence but the criminals are usually one step ahead. He said although the death and injury of his family members are like open sores, he does not wish for a revenge and hopes that peace will reign.

"Is about 13 years this war a gwan and one morning mi woud like to wake up and everyone a live in a unity. Mi say try offa the peace ting and it just nah work out, and mi don't know what really behind this. If yuh should ask what really start this, no one have a good answer to tell yuh. Mi just want peace reign and is only the Almighty God alone can make this happen," he said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay, head of the Corporate Communications Unit, told THE STAR that the police are working to bring an end to the ongoing violence.

"There is an ongoing gang war in the area that has been happening for some time, and the security forces are doing everything in their powers to curtail this," she said.