Residents on Edge After Fatal Shooting in Arnett Gardens

Kingston, Jamaica – Tension is high in the section of Arnett Gardens known as Havana after gunmen opened fire on a group of people playing dominoes on Saturday night, leaving one man dead and another injured.

The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Sanjay Allen. The identity of the injured man is being withheld. The shooting occurred shortly after 8:00 pm when masked assailants ambushed the group, firing indiscriminately before fleeing the scene.

On Sunday, police and military teams were seen patrolling the community, assuring residents that law enforcement is working to restore order. Deputy Superintendent Bryan Henry, head of the Kingston Western Police Division, confirmed that investigators have gathered significant intelligence and expressed confidence that the perpetrators will be apprehended.

“Havana and other sections of the division have been relatively peaceful since the start of the year. We are working diligently to ensure that residents continue to live in a safe and secure environment,” Henry stated.

When a news team visited the area on Sunday, the usually vibrant neighborhood was subdued. Residents, who would normally be engaged in lively discussions while watching sports or playing games, instead kept a watchful eye from their homes, hesitant to venture out.

“The two of them were playing dominoes, and then men just ran up from down the road and started firing shots. They were wearing masks. Now, one man is dead, and the other got shot in the leg,” a shaken resident recounted.

“Today is Sunday, and normally, the place would be lively. But now, everyone is just standing around, looking puzzled. There’s no war going on, so we don’t understand why this happened.”

Allen’s sister, Talesa Morgan, described him as a quiet but jovial man who was passionate about football. “He wasn’t a talkative person, but he was caring. If he was alive right now, he’d be watching football on his phone,” she said. Morgan also noted that Allen had previously worked at a clothing store in downtown Kingston but was unemployed at the time of his death.

His mother, Lorna Steers, expressed her devastation at losing her only son. “I have three daughters, and he was my only son. I feel broken. I was at work when it happened. When I got home this morning, my brother-in-law told me that my son was dead. I started to cry. They couldn’t tell me last night because I was at work and didn’t have a phone,” she shared through tears.

Meanwhile, an aunt of the injured man confirmed that he is recovering in hospital after being shot in the leg. “We feel terrible because we are not involved in anything. Now one person has lost his life, and another is injured. We don’t know what caused this, and we don’t know if this will lead to more violence,” she said.

Residents are now fearful that the attack could escalate into further violence, though authorities have assured them that security forces are actively working to prevent retaliation.