Police are bracing for reprisal attacks following the murder of four men at the Live Wire Sports Bar and Grill (formerly La Roose) on Port Henderson Road, St Catherine, on Wednesday.

During a media briefing yesterday, acting deputy commissioner of Police in charge of crime, Owen Ellington, said steps will be put in place to hinder such actions as the the police are looking at several theories in relation to the incident.

"Based on the nature of the individuals involved and how the crime was executed, we are anticipating reprisal action. Therefore, we are either preparing ourselves to interrupt or prevent further violence connected with this crime," Ellington said.

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Police say about 11:45 p.m., eight men travelling in two vehicles, posing as policemen and armed with M-16 rifles, entered the venue, approached a group of men sitting at the bar and opened fire.

When the fire had ended, owner of the club Ricardo 'Bully' Thomas and his brother Kirk, both from Olympic Gardens, lay dead along with a third victim identified only as 'Mampy Zeeks', a reputed gang leader from August Town, both in St Andrew. The fourth victim is yet to be identified.

The police said a fifth man was shot and injured. The brothers were scheduled to leave the island earlier that day, but missed the flight.

Investigators say information they have received suggested the attackers were working with three women who hugged the men upon their arrival. They fled when the shooting started. Police found a 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol with 11 rounds of ammunition at the scene.

Ricardo, who was on the country's most wanted list last year, was nabbed by the police at a house in Barbican, St Andrew last October. He was found with two 9mm pistols and 49 rounds of ammunition. He pleaded guilty and was given a suspended sentence and fined $1 million in the Gun Court last December. He was also linked to a bloody war in Coburn Gardens (Cockburn Pen), St Andrew, which left at least 60 people dead.

Police are theorising that the attack may be linked to shooting incidents which occurred in Coburn Gardens last weekend.

André 'Pullo' Champagnie, 18, of Maple View Road and Steve 'Fanna' Coley of Flinch Crescent, both in Kingston 11, were shot dead in separate but related incidents on Saturday.

Champagnie was killed by men in a Toyota Corolla motor car as he walked along Maple View Road. Coley, who was one of the men in the car, was fatally shot by thugs after he fell from the vehicle.