George McKenzie Jr. Arrested for Shooting on Barrack Road

As we reported on Tuesday, twenty-nine-year-old Leon Garcia came under gunfire from a pair of men who ran up on him while he was conversing with a friend in front of JB’s Auto Wash on Barrack Road earlier in the day.  According to the proprietor, he observed his employee run into a nearby storeroom and soon thereafter, heard as many as four shots ring out.  Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.  Police have since identified and arrested twenty-one-year-old George McKenzie Junior, a resident of Pinks Alley.  They have also detained eighteen-year-old Dane Gillette in connection with the shooting.  It is believed that Garcia has a history of enmity with his alleged attackers.  According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Dezerie Phillips, Garcia is not cooperating with their investigation.

ACP Dezerie Phillips, Regional Commander, Eastern Division North

“We responded to reports of shots being fired at that area and we were told that a person was shot at; however the person had already left when the police arrived and it is somebody that isn’t cooperative with the police. Up to this morning, we made efforts to locate the person who has since indicated to us that he doesn’t even know or was sure that he was the person that was shot at and he didn’t see who shot him. So it is something that we are still looking into, we are still interviewing persons within the area; we have at least one person detained and we will see where the investigation leads us.”

Dezerie Phillips

Duane Moody

“So since the person does not seem to want to make a formal report, what then? Can whoever that was responsible for firing those shots be charged for anything?”

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“As long as we are able to identify who fired the shots, we will be able to charge somebody, as long as we get that. But like I said, we are still interviewing persons; yes we have still gotten a couple of statements but not enough as yet for us to lay charges. But as soon as we do, we definitely will.”

Duane Moody

“What could have triggered this incident; this gun violence in the north side which of course we know for some time there hasn’t been one?”

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“It is undetermined at this time, but it is obvious that there are a lot of feuds among different groups across the city—not only on the north side; it is everywhere. And it is opportunity that they look for. It might well be that somebody passed who had an issue with somebody and saw an opportunity to fire. So that’s how it is. But until we could get to the bottom of who did what, then we could take action. But it is definitely something that we are taking seriously.”