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The community of Swallowfield, St Andrew, remains tense following the slaying of car wash operator Marlon Blair yesterday.

When THE STAR visited the area yesterday, residents said the killing occurred at a terrible time.

"[This happened] right after the community get nice and we say we a go practise cheerleading for Labour Day. We a say the community nice again ... and all a dis happen now. Everything a go postpone now and nutten can't keep. None of us knows where all a dis a come from, suh we don't know a wah dis," one woman said.

The St Andrew Central Police Division reported that about 11 a.m., Blair, 46, was at his car wash when he was pounced upon by men who fired several shots in his direction. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A woman who said she has a daughter with Blair, drowned her sorrows in a rum special. Her eyes welled up with tears as she described him as a hard-working and responsible individual. She stated that he has been operating his car wash for more than a decade.

"Him is a nice and responsible person and him look after him kids and grandchildren dem. Him was nice and although him nuh too talk talk, him was a jovial person," she said. She added that she was inside her house when she heard the explosions but had no idea that Blair was being shot.

"By the time mi run out, dem put him in the car and a drive away and mi did just a pray say him survive, but it didn't happen. Him children dem feel it. Dem not taking it good and it really hard and mi don't know where all a dis a come from because him is just from work to home," she said.

St Andrew Central has recorded a 56 per cent increase in murders as at March 9, with 14 murders compared to nine for the corresponding period last year.