Prime Minister Andrew Holness has described the firebombing rampage in Gregory Park, St Catherine, as a “scar” on the nation.

Holness, who, along with Police Chief Major General Antony Anderson and Member of Parliament Alando Terrelonge, toured the affected community yesterday, said “it was an act of terrorism designed to spread fear and displace people”.

“When you consider it, that a gang of Jamaican citizens living in this community, they obviously know each other, some of them would have gone to school together, they are friends and they could be possessed by such evil… to come with cannisters of petrol and deliberately walk from house to house and throw the accelerant on the houses and set them on fire with children inside, it is not something that the State should tolerate in any way,” Holness said.

Terrelonge said there has been an increase in violence in the Gregory Park area, noting that there are certain elements within the community whose “main focus is to terrorise the communities into whatever their social belief is”.

“So far, Councillor Joy Brown and I have started our relief efforts; we have started distributing back-to-school supplies… . Yesterday I was here, as well, delivering food supplies. We have assisted some residents with cash also, just to sort of help them back on the way,” he said in outlining the support being provided to the affected residents.

No safe haven

Eleven houses were firebombed on Saturday, August 12, resulting in approximately 40 persons being left homeless and traumatised. One of the residents sustained burns all over her body and is in hospital, while one person was shot and killed by the gunmen.

Terrelonge emphasised that “there will be no safe haven for any terrorist in Portmore… we will ensure that the security forces retake the space. No safe quarter will be given to any terrorist, and they will not be allowed to operate within the Gregory Park space”.

The police have since listed 13 persons of interest whom they have ordered to report to the 100 Man Police Station in Portmore for questioning in relation to the incident.

Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson said the police have been hunting down the persons who committed the criminal act.

“We understand that among the people were not just men who came over, but also women, who were willing to come over and burn out other women and children. But that is indicative of the sort of threat that we have been facing as a police force… . We are up to the task and we are going to find these people,” Anderson said.

“We already engaged some of them this morning, they managed to escape but we will be on them. We have identified a number of them, and we will be following up on that,” he added.

The police chief said the security forces will address the matter “in the most forceful fashion to recover the space and ensure that the rule of law obtains everywhere”.