Four persons, including a 16-year-old youth and two women, were shot and injured when gunmen invaded a child's birth-night party in Gulf, Norwood, on Sunday night.

Police have not released the names of the injured in an effort to protect their identities who, up to late yesterday, remained in hospital.

Residents said they were left traumatised after the incident. "Mi say is whole heap a gunshots fire," one resident told THE STAR. "Mi nuh remember hearing so much shot fire one time yet."

He said that they have been left cowering in fear. "Children are very traumatised. It is unbearable and the foolishness must stop now," he said. Residents said that sometime after 10 p.m., a birth-night party was in progress when four heavily armed men attacked the patrons and fired indiscriminately. The persons in attendance were sent running frantically to safety.

The police confirmed the incident and said the injured have been hospitalised.

THE STAR has been reliably informed that the incident is gang related, as warring factions have been shooting at each other and continue to issue death threats to members in the community since the death of a notorious gunman who was shot dead by unknown assailants over a month ago.