Gunman opens fire on crowd

Two men were shot late Sunday night in the Sion Hill Village of Walvaroo, in what one eyewitness described to SEARCHLIGHT as a brazen, bold faced attack.{{more}}

The eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, said that the lone gunman approached a shop in the area where a bunch of people was gathered, and opened fire on the assembly.

What made the attack particularly audacious, was the fact that the shooter was not wearing a mask or any sort of disguise, as he carried out the assault on the unsuspecting patrons.

According to the eyewitness, about six persons were on the outside and inside of the shop, located opposite the LIME building in Sion Hill, when a man was seen walking in the direction of the shop shortly after 11 p.m.

As the stranger arrived in front of the shop, he stopped and fired between six and seven shots at the people there.

The eyewitness told SEARCHLIGHT that after the man finished shooting, he took off on foot down the street in the direction of the Courts St Vincent Limited warehouse.

Shot during the barrage of bullets were 54-year-old Byron Browne, a mechanic who lives in the area, and 49-year-old Belair resident Kingsley Thomas, a contractor.

The eyewitness said that about ten minutes after the offence took place, members of the Rapid Response Unit (Black Squad) arrived on the scene and transported the injured men to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, while members of the Major Crimes Unit and Criminal Investigations Department investigated the shooting at the scene.

While Browne was admitted to the hospital, SEARCHLIGHT understands that Thomas was treated for a head wound and discharged.

The shooting comes just one week after two Evesham residents, Benjamin Jackson and Dwayne Robertson were shot and killed in their community in a drive-by shooting. Two men were also injured in that attack.

The eyewitness told SEARCHLIGHT that despite a number of shootings in the area some time ago, the community is a relatively quiet area, and people in the village were upset and condemned the attack.

The shooter was described as a stocky individual about 5 feet seven inches tall, with braided hair. He was wearing a pair of short pants and a yellow t-shirt.

When contacted, police said their investigations into the shooting are continuing.(JJ)