Gunmen wounded after murder, high-speed chase in St James
Published:Saturday | September 12, 2020 | 12:17 AMHopeton Bucknor/Gleaner Writer
Two persons, including a Dominican woman, were gunned down in St James over the past 48 hours.
One of the incidents resulted in a high-speed chase that ended at Westgate in Montego Bay, with two of the gunmen being captured and two illegal firearms seized.
Those killed have been identified as 24-year-old Renor Anderson, unemployed, of Catherine Hall, St James, and 37-year-old Maria Isabel Valdez Bens, bartender from the Dominican Republic.
The identities of the two gunmen, who are being treated at hospital under police guard, have been withheld.
Reports are that about noon, Anderson was watching over a stall in Catherine Hall when he was approached by both accused, who posed as customers.
The men ordered cigarettes before opening fire, hitting Anderson in the head.
A team of officers who were on patrol saw the two gunmen standing over Anderson, who was lying on the ground. Both gunmen jumped into a Nissan Note motor car, which sped off towards Westgate.
The gunmen crashed after engaging the police in a gun battle during a high-speed chase.
Four armed men reportedly alighted from the vehicle and continued to fire at the police. Two of the attackers were wounded while the others escaped on foot.
Like a movie
Following the shootings, several eyewitnesses told The Gleaner that the entire incident was like a movie being played out before their very eyes.
“Up to now mi still cah believe what mi witness today. Di gunman dem a move like dem a police, because even after dem murder the youth, dem still tan up pon the scene,” a taxi operator said.
The other incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Hot Spot Bar in Lilliput, where Valdez was employed.
Reports are that two men entered the bar and held her at gunpoint demanding money. Valdez ran from the establishment but was chased and shot by the gunmen.
The victim’s handbag was stolen.
Valdez was pronounced dead at Falmouth Hospital.
Since the start of the year, more than 20 people have been murdered in St James.