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THE busy market district in downtown Kingston was the scene of murder and mayhem yesterday as gangsters from Tivoli Gardens and Matthews Lane engaged in an orgy of violence which left a confirmed five people dead and unconfirmed reports of a sixth fatal shooting.The shootings caused vendors and shoppers to scamper for cover with concern about what will happen today, the busiest shopping day of the week.The shootings started just before 8:00 am on Darling Street when gunmen opened fire on two men, hitting them multiple times. The injured men were later identified as 28-year-old Ackeem Wilson of a Kingston 14 address and 41-year-old Kevin Mitchell, a plumber of Havendale, St Andrew. They were taken to hospital where police sources said they were both pronounced dead.In what was believed to be reprisal for the first two murders, one man was fatally shot on Charles Street in the vicinity of Matthews Lane.The killings continued for a short while thereafter when the gunmen struck on Orange Street, leaving one man dead. Up to press time he had not been identified.As the police probed for clues at those crime scenes news broke that another man had been fatally shot on King Street in what is suspected to be a related attack.As fear gripped that market district one vendor called for the installation of high technology in the market district and surrounding areas so that the police can quickly apprehend the perpetrators of gun crimes. He was concerned that far fewer customers than usual would today use the Darling Street entrance to Coronation Market after learning of the early morning double murder.The vendor said before the shootings began yesterday, people visiting the market were positively engaging him and making purchases, but as soon as the incident occurred, shoppers moved away from that section of the market."Me sit down right here so and a drink around four stouts since morning and a play some real music, and market a gwaan good. A woman beg mi watch her market bag and a two Stouts she buy mi. She seh if mi can give an eye [watch over her belongings], and mi tell her seh encouragement sweetens labour, and she buy it."With this now, nobody nah walk yah so. It slow up. A different entrance dem a walk. A only the fittest of the fittest can survive. Mi plan fi go inna di hills go live when it start get more wicked, and plant some vegetables - real cave man style," said the vendor.A policeman assigned to the West Kingston Division condemned the murders, which he said occur every weekend. The seasoned policeman also chided some of his colleagues for not demonstrating zeal on the job. He said an attitude like that only breeds criminals."Mek mi tell you something - you see dedication and commitment, that is not there. When you see dem [police] dung yah a day time inna di police unit, dem under air condition. Dem can't hear a man bawl out and seh 'Officer!' People a dead, straight! Like, every weekend. If you drive around tomorrow, you won't see two or three units parked around here. You have to lock dung di place and put man inside. No music nuffi a play, suh if shot fire, you can hear."This nuh good because people have to come a market because of the three-day lockdown. The police need to park the vehicles and go on foot. When a man see you pon foot, dem fret, because you are more of a threat to them," said the policemen who asked not to be named.Late yesterday, the leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force announced that additional police and soldiers had been deployed to the market district to put a lid on the violence.Up to September 9 the police had reported 86 murders in the West Kingston Division. This was almost 25 per cent above the 69 people killed in the volatile area over the same period last year.