One suspect in Rockfort mass shooting cut down by cops

One man said to be a suspect in the Rockfort mass shooting was cut down by police during an operation on Tuesday.

Police said a day after seven people were shot, five fatally, they received information that one of the shooters was seen in a neighbouring community, a search was carried out and the suspect was killed during a reported gun battle.

In another development Prime Minister Andrew Holness and members of his team also visited the area where the mass shooting took place and a 48 hour curfew has been imposed.

While there Holness called on residents to reject the presence of area dons and other criminal elements in their respective communities. 

Holness said the intention of such dons are to, among other things, undermine the country's security.

Further, he described the mass killing as an "organised" act, and said no sympathy should be shown for those responsible.

Five men, including a father and his son, were shot and killed, while two other men were wounded at a football match, in the community on Monday.

Two of the deceased are said to be known gangsters and dons, according to the police. 

Holness, in addressing reporters during a tour of the community, said men who style themselves as dons, serve no real purposes in communities. 

"I think more and more Jamaicans are realising that these men who claim to want to protect the communities, or call themselves elders, or don, dads, or whatever term they may choose to describe themselves, they are nothing but criminals, low lives, (and) people whose only intent is to undermine your security," Holness declared.

If such criminals are allowed to undermine the security of the nation and the peace in communities, the prime minister said they will "ultimately claim your life".

"They (the dons) are of no value to the community, and it is about time all members of the community realise that these persons serve no good purpose," said Holness.

He appealed to residents to provide information to the police on the incident, as he reiterated his suggestion that the incident was planned.

"There must be no favour, no sympathy for these persons who organised that (crime). They are criminals, and they must be seen in that way," Holness remarked.

Police have since identified four of the deceased persons killed in the mass shooting incident.

They are 51-year-old Ortavia Austin, otherwise called 'Mandez', and his son 29-year-old Okero Ortavia Austin, alias 'Keero', both of Oliver Road.

The senior Austin is said to be a member of the Oliver Road gang.

The other deceased are 32-year-old Odane Joseph, otherwise called 'Bones', a handyman of Pleasant Heights; and 38-year-old Rosrick Thomas, alias 'Teniel', a labourer of Oliver Road, all in Rockfort.