Gunmen Strike in Spanish Town: Two Dead, Three Wounded

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine — Two men are dead and three others nursing gunshot wounds after armed men opened fire on a group of people in the Ellerslie Road community last night. The attack, which police say happened around 9:30 p.m., has left residents shaken and demanding more security.

According to reports, the victims were standing near a shop on Ellerslie Road when a white Toyota Probox pulled up. Two men jumped out and started shooting indiscriminately. The gunmen then sped off towards the toll road.

Dead are 28-year-old Kyle "Biggs" Morrison of Ellerslie Road and 31-year-old Devon "Sticks" Thomas of nearby Thompson Pen. The injured, whose names are being withheld pending family notification, are being treated at the Spanish Town Hospital. Hospital sources say two are in serious but stable condition. The third, a 19-year-old woman, was grazed by a bullet and treated and released.

“Mi hear di shots an’ mi drop flat pan di ground. When mi look up, mi see di Probox driving off. One a di fellas weh get shot is mi bredrin. Him did just buy a new phone fi him mother. It rough out here,” said Marlon Brown, a resident who lives near the shop. Brown, a 45-year-old construction worker, said he saw the gunmen’s faces but is too scared to talk to police. “Them nah care who them kill. Dem woulda come back fi mi too,” he added.

This latest bloodshed comes as the police high command reports a slight drop in murders islandwide for the first quarter of 2025. However, St Catherine still accounts for a significant chunk of the national tally. Up to March 31, the parish recorded 47 homicides, compared to 52 over the same period last year.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Calvin Allen, who heads the St Catherine North Division, said investigations are ongoing. “We have recovered several 9mm spent casings at the scene. We are also reviewing CCTV footage from nearby businesses. We are appealing to anyone with information to come forward. We cannot solve these crimes without the community’s help,” Allen said in a brief interview.

Residents say they are fed up. “Every night we hear gunshot. We can’t even let di pickney go outside fi play. We need more police patrol, not just when somebody dead,” said Patricia Grant, a 52-year-old mother of three who has lived on Ellerslie Road for over 20 years.

Police are asking anyone with information about the attack to call the Spanish Town CIB at 876-984-2306 or the Crime Stop hotline at 311.

Practical Takeaway: If you live in a high-crime area, avoid standing in groups outside late at night. Keep your phone charged and have emergency numbers saved. Report suspicious vehicles like the white Probox immediately to 311 or your nearest police station. Your tip could save a life.