Residents of Phase One, Powder Magazine in Cocorite are reporting a dramatic resurgence of criminal activity and a corresponding decline in police patrols, creating an atmosphere of pervasive fear more than a year after a mass shooting devastated their community.
The traumatic memory of the May 4, 2024 attack remains vivid, when gunmen in a dark-colored vehicle opened indiscriminate fire outside Building F, killing four residents—Shaquille Ottley, 22; Antonio Jack, 57; Sadiki Ottley, 31; and Jonathan Osmond, 36—and wounding eight others.
During a recent visit by Newsday, explicit music blared through the concrete corridors as early as 9 AM, with groups of men congregating outside the same building where the shooting occurred. Multiple residents, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns, described deteriorating conditions including suspected illegal occupancy of a ground-floor apartment in Building F that they believe serves as a base for criminal operations.
An elderly resident revealed she has abandoned reporting issues to police after numerous unanswered complaints. ‘I just give up now,’ she confessed, noting that fear prevents her from evening walks after dark. ‘I feel it’s only a matter of time before they shoot it up again.’
A mother with young children described how security concerns dictate her family’s movements, restricting outdoor activities after 6 PM despite daylight hours. She and others acknowledged that while police presence was consistent immediately following the 2024 tragedy, providing a sense of security, these patrols have now virtually disappeared.
The community’s appeal for intervention extends directly to Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, with residents urging personal engagement and increased patrols. ‘The young people in here not lost. They just need better role models and real attention,’ one resident emphasized.
Despite reaching out to multiple authorities—including Housing Minister David Lee, Senior Superintendent Sylvester Williams, and Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro—Newsday received minimal official response. Minister Lee pledged an ‘immediate investigation’ into illegal occupancy claims, while other officials provided no substantive comment on the reduced police presence or ongoing security strategies.
Young men in the community expressed their own misgivings, acknowledging constant concern about violence while demonstrating deep distrust toward law enforcement. ‘Anybody could just run in and shoot up the place,’ one stated quietly, capturing the prevailing sentiment of vulnerability abandoned by those tasked with their protection.