By Alicia Dunkley-Willis

The attack carried out by men armed with high-powered rifles aboard a white motor car disrupted birthday celebrations being held by a 31-year-old bar owner for her boyfriend, a 23-year-old mechanic from the area.

After the shooting ended it was discovered that several individuals had been shot. Amongst the casualties lay a seven-year-old boy, while a baby of one year and eight months was injured.

Speaking at an emergency press briefing at Jamaica House after a meeting of the National Security Council, the prime minister said it had been confirmed that players from multiple gangs, including people overseas and those behind bars, played a role in what he described as “an act of terror”.

Declaring that Jamaica has “played with gangs for far too long” the prime minister said, “We will not treat this as another criminal act; we will treat this as an act of terror. Therefore, we have given directions to the security forces to launch an all-out assault on the gangs that are involved.”

“Operationally, they must go after every single gang…today every gang leader should ‘tek weh dem self’.

“The security forces have now been given a directive, after our National Security Council meeting: ‘Go after every single gang -and erode them,’ “ the prime minister said grimly.

Added Holness: “There is no way that eight persons can be killed in one incident in Jamaica and the State stands as if nothing happened. Every gang member will feel the full force of the State today. This must never happen in Jamaica again. Everyone involved in this incident will be brought to justice -in whatever form the justice is visited upon them.”

The prime minister, in branding the incident “coordinated, organized armed violence”, said the perpetrators will be treated as criminal terrorists. In noting that “operations are underway at all levels”, he said Jamaica has sought the support of international partners to nab those overseas who are facilitating, directing, and funding criminal operations here.

Chief of defense staff of Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) Vice-Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, in noting that “the occurrence in Clarendon merits special attention by the security forces”, said in addition to all the ongoing Anti-Gang Task Force operations and other security operations, she has directed a specific team to treat with this particular incident.