Deadly Deception – Jamaica Observer

HIBERNIA, Manchester – Residents of this quiet farming community in northeast Manchester are left stunned and shocked after a deadly home invasion Wednesday evening carried out by armed men allegedly posing as police.

Evon Gibson, also known as General, a 45-year-old construction worker, mechanic and resident of Hibernia, was killed in the attack while his cousin and a woman were injured.

“They came and knocked on the door (and shouted) ‘Police, flying squad!’” a relative of the victims told police. Jamaican observer.

The relative said Gibson’s cousin opened the door, but one of the gunmen told him he wasn’t the person they wanted.

He said Gibson was in a room in the house, heard the argument, pulled his door open and as he stepped out of the room, one of the gunmen said, “Yeah man, see that guy, yeah.”

He said the gunmen shot Gibson twice, and after he fell, they shot him again.

The murder was committed around 9:30 p.m. Gibson’s cousin was shot in the leg and the cousin’s girlfriend was shot in the upper body.

They were taken to hospital where Gibson was pronounced dead while the injured couple was admitted for treatment.

Three other people – including Gibson’s 90-year-old grandmother, his teenage cousin and the child’s mother – were unharmed during the invasion.

This latest incident has seen the number of deaths in Manchester rise to 47 since the start of the year.

A family member of the victims was shocked after the shooting.

“The community isn’t used to this, man. Every man you see here is a farmer. The dead youth (were) hard at work; if you notice on his car you will see ‘Evon Construction’. I’m shocked. When they called me last night and told me, I fell down. They had water to feed me,” the relative said.

Gibson’s father, Avril, told the story Observer that his son was a hard worker.

‘He is my only son. He was the first pickney to leave me behind…. This morning I spoke to him: ‘General, come and finish the decking.’ He says, ‘Yes, Dad,’ and look what happens,” the elder Gibson said.

‘He’s a builder. He is a jack of all trades. Now if your car comes here and breaks down, he will drop the engine and by morning you will have your car back,” he added.

He said he believes his son was envied because he was handsome.

‘He looks good, uh. The woman looks like him. I don’t know if a woman will kill him or wah,” he said.

Councilor Omar Miller (Jamaica Labor Party, Craighead Division) said he knew the murder victim.

“He was a community man. A decent, law-abiding citizen, a hard worker. We went to school together and believe me, I feel it now because he shouldn’t have gone this way. But we must face the reality that crime is everywhere,” Miller said Thursday.

“We, the people, must find a way to rid the community of this type of criminal activity. “I really believe that the police have a lot in their hands and I hope that we can bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added.