Death of four-year-old sparks protests in western Jamaica

Jamaica: Protests have sparked out in western Jamaica after a four-year-old child was killed during a late-night shooting on New Year’s Day, involving security forces in the community of Granville, St James.

The Opposition People's National Party( PNP) has called for an independent probe into the New Year’s day shooting in Granville, St James that claimed the lives of 3 people including a 4-year-old child.

According to the reports a shootout between the police authorities reportedly took place on Thursday, after police officers responded to reports of an illegal gun salute that was happening in Granville, St James.

Following the authorities arrival on the scene, a shootout reportedly transpired between the police officers and the 2 alleged gunmen. When the 4-year-old child was shot in the back shortly after midnight.

The authorities also managed to shoot and kill the gunmen, one being identified as Kevon Martinez and recovered an AK-47 rifle at the scene.

Fitz Jackson PNP’s spokesman on National Security has called for an independent probe into what transpired on the New Year's Day leading to the death of the child. As it still remains unclear who fired the shots on the 4-year-old child.

Jackson has further called for the professional training of all security forces.

Furthermore, the father of Kevon Martinez, one of the two men shot and killed by the police in Granville, St James has stated that his son is not a murderer although he is  not without faults as he sometimes followed bad crowds and peers.

Speaking at a protest on Thursday, the father claimed that his son and the other man he was with were on their way to visit a girlfriend that night when they encountered the security forces and got shot down.

Claims that do not line up with the authorities information as they stated that the incident took place as part of a joint police-military team when they responded to reports of explosions and gunfire in the area.

This comes after the authorities warned that there should not be gun salutes in the country during the New Year's celebration. The community of St James is still seeking justice for the untimely death of the 4-year-old child with many blaming the security forces.