A quiet Sunday evening in the community of Commodore, Linstead, was shattered by gunfire when armed men, posing as police officers, attacked a family yard late Sunday, leaving five people dead and four others injured. Among the dead is a four-year-old child.
The shooting occurred around 8:45 p.m. along Commodore main road when several men, some reportedly wearing police-style vests, entered the premises and opened fire on the occupants.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips, who heads Area 5, described the attack as “very unfortunate and awful,” noting that Linstead had been relatively calm before the tragedy.
“Nine persons were shot, five persons have so far been confirmed dead,” ACP Phillips told Observer Online. “We are here trying to put together the pieces to determine what really triggered such an awful situation. The community of Linstead has been doing pretty well since this year.”
The deceased have been identified as four-year-old Shannon Gordon, a student of Rosemount Primary and Infant School; Mario Sullivan, 42, of Rosemount District; Jushane Edwards, 19, of Rosemount District; Iysha Washington, 39, a vendor of Rosemount District; and Famous Amos, 22, a security guard of Commodore District.
Police confirmed that six males and three females were shot in the attack; two females and three males succumbed to their injuries.
ACP Phillips said the location was known to the police, having been visited on several occasions due to “long-standing issues and challenges” involving the family.
“The indicators so far are suggesting that this might be a continuation of gang conflict, which comes as a surprise to us because this area has been quiet for a while,” he said. “Unfortunately among the numbers we have a four-year-old who was brutally killed… the community is in shock.”
Senior investigators and multiple police units were deployed to the scene as authorities worked to track down those responsible.
Phillips noted that prior to Sunday night’s attack, the Linstead area had recorded only eight murders this year, compared to more than 20 during the same period in 2024.
“Linstead was doing pretty well and so this really comes as a shocker to us,” he said.
Investigations are ongoing.
