Jahshii Pickup Riddled With Bullets, Six Entourage Members Shot

The St. Andrew Central police have confirmed that a pickup owned by Dancehall artist Jahshii was attacked by armed men on Friday morning. Six men, members of the 25/8 artist’s entourage, were shot and injured, but Jahshii emerged from the incident unscathed.

“At about 4:15 a.m, a pickup type vehicle with Jahshii and several of his friends and associates was exiting Marketplace on to Constant Spring road when men on bikes rode up and shot up the vehicle. Jahshii managed to elude his attackers and was not injured, but six persons were shot, none of the injuries are serious, and they were treated at hospital,” Head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, told DancehallMag.

Eyewitness reports said that an off-duty police officer, well-known in entertainment circles, challenged the bike-riding men before they could do more damage. Jahshii was reportedly leaving his own birthday party, which was held at the Mecca nightclub in the Marketplace. He was in another car with the promoter, that’s why he was able to evade harm.

The shooting comes two days after Jahshii asserted his innocence in a new song Fire Alarm, released with visuals on Wednesday.

The song appears to address recent rumours about the singer’s alleged involvement in the murder of a man called “Romie” in the Grants Pen community in St. Andrew last month.

The song was released with emotional visuals that show the effect the rumor-mongering had on the artist’s family. Jahshii’s mother, Lorna Henry, makes an appearance in the introduction of the video to drive home the point.

“Why dem want hold down mi pickney? As mi say already, and mi ah go say it again, oonu go find Proverbs 12 and read 22 to 28,” Henry advised.

Jahshii maintains his innocence and advocates self-defence, saying he has no fear of any retaliation for his alleged role in the death of the businessman. He deejays: “Mi deh pan dah stage yah wid a weapon near mi weh nuh deh pan safety/Ah di whole place mi wi tek and shake it/Cah tek mi 3 points nuh Lebron James this/Dem affi go witness bless and greatness…”

The 25/8 artist is even more defiant on the chorus, advocating extreme measures of self-defence, where he warns: “A rather them than me cah kill mi suh easy/One up inna the mattic, mi nah itch fi squeeze i’/ ah rather them than me…ah rather them than me.”

He upbraided news media and social media bloggers on the single, declaring, “Mr. Newsman, get your facts right, and nuh bring your news wrong”.

He also shares his thoughts about his experiences and sings about being paranoid about the situation that the media speculation created.

In the second verse, Jahshii remains defiant, saying that, like David vs Goliath, he would be protecting himself at any cost going forward.

In June, the police had expressed an interest in speaking to the Born Fighter deejay as they believed that Jahshii could have information about the death of 45-year-old businessman Omar ‘Romie’ Wright.

Jahshii had surrendered himself to the police in the company of his attorneys, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and Richard Lynch. He was questioned and released by the cops about the June 7 murder.

His lawyer, Peter Champagnie, has consistently maintained his client’s innocence.

The police have yet to make an arrest in relation to Wright’s murder.

Reports are that Wright was killed on Shortwood Road about 10:40 p.m on June 7 by armed men. There are allegations that Jahshii’s mom, who operates a wholesale business in the area, had an altercation with Wright during which he threw water in her face.

It is rumored that Jashii, whose real name is Mluleki Tafari Clarke, then reportedly argued with Wright about the incident. Wright was gunned down hours later by persons unknown.