Sting event in Jamaica injures 20

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

KINGSTON, Jamaica: At least 20 people were injured at the infamous Sting concert event Saturday at the Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore, St. Catherine, Jamaica after a melee barraged by gunshots and a stampede ended the show. 

Reports from the event put the spark of the incident in the hands of DJ Ninja Man and dancehall star Vybz Kartel who allegedly started a fight incensed by a hyped and "wild" crowd that were upset that headliner Bounty Killer would be a no-show. Security guards subsequently fired machine guns into the air after fans began hurling bottles and rocks onto the stage and into the VIP areas. 

Damage was held to media vehicles and equipment and a chain link fence set up backstage. 

According to the Jamaican Observer, the Greater Portmore police could give no official statistics on the number of persons injured at the event, but an officer said that he had heard a figure of 20. There had been no reports of anyone being shot, the paper reported. Many persons lost their cell phones, jewelry and shoes in the melee. 

The event has been known for similar incidents since its debut 20 years ago.

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