She was scheduled to sit an exam Tuesday morning, but the memories of Monday night's bloody shooting incident in Seaview Gardens, St Andrew, were too much for 26-year-old Latoya Berry.

Her heart was continuing to pound heavily in reaction to finding out that her child's father had been shot several times, controversially, by members of the security forces. An emotional Berry was in no shape to sit the exam, so the school authorities had no choice but to call in a counsellor to assist her.

According to police reports, her child's father, Kenroy Stewart, was shot and injured in what the police described as a shoot-out with members of the security forces. On Wednesday, angry residents took to the streets, challenging the police's version of the incident. They claimed Stewart was wrongfully shot by the lawmen.

Reports are that Stewart was shot following an incident earlier in which four persons were shot by gunmen, two fatally. It is alleged that the lawmen, in responding to that incident, swooped down on a section of the community.

Dressed like badman

"Some of the police dem dressed like badman, so the people dem never know if a police or not, so dem start to run and dat is when de police start fire de shot dem," said a resident who was involved in the demonstration.

Head of the Bureau of Special Investigations, Assistant Commis-sioner Granville Gause, told The Gleaner that his team of investigators would revisit the community after making arrangements to collect and record statements.

Residents said the community has been on edge since Monday, following a dispute between rival gangs. Those killed on Monday have been identified as 21-year-old Sheldon Grandison, otherwise called 'Chiggy'; and Corniel Gilroy, 28, both of Phase 2, Seaview Gardens.

rasbert.turner@gleanerjm.com