The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

Three men were gunned down in separate incidents hours apart taking the country’s murder count this year to 34.

In the latest killing, shortly after 10pm last night, a 41–year-old man was walking along Charles Vincent Street with a female friend, when two men sitting on a yellow Honda vehicle fired several shots at them. They hit the man several times to the upper body. The victim and his friend then ran to Homestead Street where he collapsed.

He was transported to hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

A short time later police arrested three men ages 28, 23 and 21, along with a 21–year-old female in connection with the incident.

In the other fatal shooting earlier yesterday, the victim was 24-year old Renaldo Braynen of Toote Shop Corner.

He was gunned down by a man armed with a handgun as he stood with three other men at Dunmore Street sometime before noon yesterday.

Central Detective Unit Chief Paul Rolle said: “He (victim) was standing in the street talking with three other guys when a lone male approached, produced a gun, and fired in his direction. The three guys all ran, and (the gunman) ran back through a track road on the south side of Dunmore Street.”

At the scene yesterday, Assistant Superintendent Phillip Hinsey, in charge of the Southern Division, explained that the Bain and Grants Town area had seen an increase in shooting-related matters this month. However, he noted that there was no evidence to suggest incidents were gang-related.

While the area could be rated an eight on a ten-point scale concerning drugs and firearm-related murders, ASP Hinsey said officers are on daily patrols and there is active participation from the community in solving crimes.

Police have four suspects in custody in connection with Tuesday night’s fatal shooting that claimed the life of a 29-year-old Jamaica Street resident.

The suspects, aged 35, 18 and 17, were arrested early yesterday morning with a “prime suspect”, aged 30, and also a resident of Pinewood Gardens.

According to reports the victim was shot multiple times as he was about to enter a friend’s car parked at his residence. It read: “Shortly before 11pm, a female friend of the deceased went to his Jacaranda Street residence located in Pinewood Gardens to collect him in her vehicle. As the deceased began to walk to his female friend’s vehicle, a silver Nissan Altima pulled up with a male occupant, who fired several shots at them. The vehicle then sped off.”

The victim was shot in his back and chest, and died in hospital of his injuries. Police arrested suspects less than three hours later at around 2am.

Last week Mr Rolle made an urgent public appeal for persons to turn in illegal weapons in an effort to assist police in curbing the “indiscriminate” shootings. 

At the time, he said police were concerned with the levels of illegal firearms on the streets.

Yesterday, Mr Rolle said preliminary evidence did not suggest that the two earlier shootings were linked.

Anyone with information that might assist the police with their investigations into these murders is asked to contact them at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.