Father killed, young children wounded in Hannah Town gun attack

By Clinton McGregor    

 

A man was killed and his two children seriously wounded during a gun attack in Hannah Town, West Kingston, on Wednesday morning.

 

The dead man has been identified as 55-year-old Mark McKenzie of Upper Oxford Street, Kingston 14.

 

His children, aged eight and four years old, are receiving treatment for bullet wounds at hospital.

 

The Kingston Western police say sometime after 3 o'clock, Mr. McKenzie was home asleep with his children when armed men entered the yard and home fire on the dwelling.

 

Mr. McKenzie died after sustaining multiple bullet wounds, while his children were shot in the legs.

 

Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, head of the Kingston Western Police, told Radio Jamaica News that the shooting is a continuation of an ongoing gang conflict in the area.

 

While lamenting the "senseless" killing, SSP Phipps also bemoaned that children were hurt in the attack. 

 

"We have over time done a lot of intervention work, which includes our stakeholders right across the community. We have for some time seen a fair level of calm return to the space. However, we are now seeing a resurgence of gang activities, which is now affecting our children who are now direct victims of the violence."  

 

He said the deceased is a relative of a suspect being sought by the police for questioning in connection with violence in the community.

 

The police, he said, are searching for the suspect and have increased their presence in the area.