Discarded bottles tell the tale of hasty exits, as partygoers tried to get away from 'The Caribbean Queen' after a shooting incident yesterday morning. - Ian Allen

One man was shot dead and three others injured at a boat party being held aboard the Caribbean Queen yesterday morning. The boat was docked at the fishing village along Port Royal Street, Kingston, at the time of the incident.

A barrage of bullets brought the session to its premature end. When the gunfire ended, one man lay dead, a few metres away from the boat, two were nursing gunshot wounds and several others had minor injures after a mad rush for safety.

"The promoter charge $1,000, but that never stop people and the boat did too full fi move, so wi just party same place," a patron said yesterday morning, a short while after 30-year-old Mario Mullings was fatally shot.

Stabbed several times

According to the patron, the fact that the boat was not going to cruise the harbour disappointed persons, but with two of the island's major sound systems playing, the party continued on the vessel and the dock until shortly after 5 a.m. when a dispute developed.

Reports are that about 5:25 a.m., Mullings was at the party at the fishing village when a dispute developed between two patrons. Mullings and another man intervened. One of the injured men also intervened but was reportedly stabbed several times by Mullings and the other man.

A policeman, who was at the party, also intervened but was attacked by Mullings and his crony. The lawman pulled his service pistol and opened fire. Mullings and two other patrons were hit. The four injured men were taken to hospital where Mullings died while being treated and the others were admitted.

A patron at the scene also gave THE STAR a similar account. "It look like a man and woman have an argument. Mario get involved and the woman start to disrespect him. Next thing me know, me see Mario with a knife. A nuff shot start fire. Me just run behind the boat and dive pon me belly."

The owner of one of the sound systems, which played at the party, expressed regret at the tragedy.

He said it could have been avoided if promoters had continued his practice of searching persons and preventing those with weapons from boarding the boat.

Up to late yesterday, detectives were still trying to track down persons who had been on the boat.