11 guns linked to several murders, shootings

about 3 years in Jamaica Observer

FORENSIC analysis of ballistics retrieved from 10 crime scenes between St Catherine and St Andrew allegedly involving members of the Klansman Gang has revealed that at least 11 firearms were in play during those times.Those firearms, according to an assistant superintendent of police, a ballistics expert assigned to the Government's forensic lab, "were directly linked to 35 shooting incidents which include at least 27 incidents of murder, seven shootings and one incident of assault".The revelation is the latest made by the expert who initially took the stand on Tuesday in the ongoing trial of 33 individuals accused of being part of the criminal organisation in the Home Circuit Division of the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston.The expert, who said he had been asked by the lead detective on the case to look at 10 firearm-related incidents between St Catherine and St Andrew allegedly committed by the gang, had on Tuesday furnished a ballistics match report outlining linkages between crime scenes and firearms for the tribunal.On Tuesday the lawman revealed the code names of five guns linked to those incidents for which the gang has been fingered. The "family" of firearms which have been given unique identifiers so far featuring highly in the crimes for which the 33 are facing trial are Geraldo, Ersela, Vanzay, Vanquisha and Anjanette. Geraldo, though linked, was not used in any of the crimes for which the Crown has indicted the 33 accused.Yesterday, the expert, in retaking the stand, said in analysing all the data "based on the pattern of use of these firearms mentioned in the report, the likelihood that less than three persons were in possession of these firearms in all instances where they were used at all of these scenes is practically unlikely".Asked to explain further he said, "If we look at the instances where on several occasions I outlined, there were at least two other firearms being featured with a specific firearm... being featured with three other firearms, four other firearms, and where you have, in total, five firearms being used on the scene. As a firearm expert, I find it practically unlikely for there to be one individual in these instances firing five separate firearms".He added that of the 10 incidents analysed, nine are reflected on the indictment brought by the Crown. These involve the 2017 murder at Price Rite, St Andrew of Damion Forrester, alias Doolie; the November 2017 murder in Lauriston, St Catherine of Patrick Tulloch, alias Outlaw; the 2017 murder on the Spanish Town Bypass of Bradshaw McDermott; the 2017 murder at the Spanish Town Bus Park of Irvine McLeggan; the 2018 murder on Jones Avenue in Spanish Town of Xavier Smith, alias Rastaman; the 2018 murder at Phil's Hardware in Spanish Town of Clive Issacs; the 2018 murder of Gary Patterson at the Spanish Town bus park; the double murder and arson in 2017 at New Nursery in the old capital of Jermaine Bryan and Cedella Walder; and the 2016 murder of Gary Heslop, alias Joe Tex, at the LOJ Plaza in Spanish Town.The expert said Tuesday that firearms code-named Ersela and Vanzay on three different occasions featured at the same scene. According to the expert, the weapons were used at the scene where Mcleggan was murdered. He said Ersela was also used in the shooting of Outlaw as well as during the murder of Jermaine Bryan and Cedella Walder. According to the assistant superintendent of police there was a "strong association" between those two firearms.On Thursday he revealed that the firearm code-named Anjanette was the firearm used in the murder of Xavier Smith, alias Rastaman, on Valentine's Day in 2018.Meanwhile, the expert said Ersela and Vanzay were multiple activity firearms - meaning they have been used in more than one incident - said the five multiple activity firearms were identified as being used at the 10 scenes of the incidents he was asked to look at. He told the court that two of the weapons, Ersela and Anjanette, which share "a strong association", have been recovered and in the custody of the police while Vanzay and Geraldo are still at large. All the firearms he said are linked to other weapons and other incidents.Specifically, he said, firearm Geraldo was linked to 10 incidents and was directly linked to eight other firearms. It was also featured in at least three different occasions on a crime scene with at least two other firearms.Also, firearm Ersela was directly linked to at least six incidents but also directly linked to at least eight other firearms and was featured on at least three separate occasions on one scene with two other firearms.On Tuesday, prosecutors said the weapons detailed by the expert related to the counts on the indictment and were "system guns"."One of these which was tendered into evidence is the .45 (pistol) taken from Tareek James, alias CJ [alleged shooter for the gang and one of several bodyguards for Andre "Blackman" Bryan]. It is a system gun, code-named Ersela," a senior prosecutor said."The [two main prosecution] witnesses have spoken about systems guns, in that there are certain firearms that belong to the organisation which it uses to commit crimes one of them is the .45 (revolver)."We are saying it is supporting evidence. We are saying the murder at Fisheries, murder of Outlaw and murders at the bus park, this weapon was used and the evidence for the Fisheries murders is that (Andre "Blackman" Bryan) took the .45 from Tareek James, shot Mr Jermaine Bryan and handed it back to James, who used the same gun and shot Miss Walder," the prosecutor said then.The trial resumes on Monday morning at 10:00 before Chief Justice Bryan Sykes.

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