Dancehall Artist Gaza Tussan Shot Dead by Police in Portmore, St Catherine

Gaza Tussan, 37, a former member of Vybz Kartel's Portmore Empire, was fatally shot by police in Cumberland early Saturday. A .38 revolver was seized at the scene.

Dancehall Artist and Kartel Trial Figure Killed in Police Confrontation

Shane Williams, known professionally as Gaza Tussan, was fatally shot by police in Cumberland, Portmore, St Catherine, at approximately 3:45 am on Saturday, the Jamaica Observer reports.

Williams, 37, was a former member of Vybz Kartel's Portmore Empire and had been listed by St Catherine South police as a person of interest since 2023. A spokesperson for the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Corporate Communications Network confirmed the incident to Observer Online.

"Williams, who was otherwise known as Gaza Tussaint or Teachable, was fatally shot during a confrontation with the cops about 3:45 am in Cumberland," the spokesperson said.

Police seized a .38 revolver and a number of 5.38 cartridges during the incident.

Beyond his music career — which included collaborations with Vybz Kartel such as Sweetest Days, House a Bun Dung and the track Toolie featuring Hayz — Williams was widely known for his role in the high-profile murder trial connected to the 2011 killing of Clive "Lizard" Williams.

He stood among the co-accused alongside Vybz Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer. In March 2014, a jury found Williams not guilty, while convicting Kartel, Shawn "Shawn Storm" Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John.

Those convictions were later overturned. In 2024, the UK-based Privy Council quashed them due to juror misconduct, and Jamaica's Court of Appeal subsequently declined to order a retrial, resulting in the release of Kartel and his remaining co-accused.

The fatal shooting has been referred to the Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau and the Independent Commission of Investigations.

Source: Jamaica Observer