Rygin King, a popular dancehall entertainer in Montego Bay, Jamaica, suffered severe injuries after he was shot in the Struie district of Westmoreland on Sunday.
Another male was injured in the shooting, while a woman identified as Sashalee Blackwood, Rygin King’s 28-year-old woman, died.
Blackwood worked as a customer service representative for Meadows of Irwin, a housing development in Montego Bay, St James.
The incident comes after rapper Bvlly was shot dead in the Oshawa neighborhood of Toronto on Christmas Eve.
Rygin King was shot at an accident scene in Westmorland
According to the Bethel Town authorities, the shooting occurred at about 3:15 p.m local time in the Bethel Town area of Westmoreland.
The Jamaican Loop News reported that it occurred while they were returning from a funeral.
According to The Gleaner, King, whose real name is Matthew Smith, his girlfriend Sashalee, their two children, and friends, were traveling through Westmoreland.
The funeral took place in a neighboring parish.
One of the two vehicles in the entertainer’s entourage was involved in an accident with another vehicle. King and his group stopped for about 45 minutes at the site of the accident.
While they were trying to sort things out, another car pulled up, and a man armed with a handgun got out and approached King.
King attempted to flee the scene, but the man shot him multiple times.
Blackwood was hit while sitting in the car with her kids
Blackwood, who was sitting in the car with their children, was shot. Another man, identified as an artist, was also shot.
King felt into a ditch while trying to escape. The attacker then approached and fired more shots before fleeing.
The 25-year-old and his family were rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.
A police source said the shooting stemmed from a previews dispute
A law enforcement source told The Gleaner that the incident appeared to have stemmed from a previous dispute.
“The persons involved were just passing through and never intended to stop in the parish had it not been for the accident,” the source told The Gleaner.
Westmoreland has seen deadly violence in recent times
Blackwood’s death brings the number of persons murdered in the parish of Westmoreland to 40 since the start of the year, according to The Gleaner.
The shooting was the third violent incident across the country involving an artist, according to Loop News.
It comes after Henry “Glamma Don” Wynter, a dancehall entertainer, was stabbed to death in Tremolesworth, St Mary, last Monday.
Damion Petgrave was also stabbed to death, allegedly by his brother, Condevie Brown, in a separate incident.