PM expresses condolences to Hawthorne's family, friends

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed condolences to the family and friends of Jamaican businessman Lowell Hawthorne who reportedly killed himself in the United States last evening.

According to media reports in the state of New York, Hawthorne, who was the chief executive officer of his family-owned Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill, shot himself in the head inside the company's Bronx offices.

News of his death sent shock waves throughout the Jamaican Diaspora community.

Despite his rise from humble beginnings in Jamaica to one of the biggest success stories in the US, friends and employees say he remained humble and was very generous.

Hawthorne migrated to the US in 1981 and used the life savings of relatives to start the Golden Krust bakery in the Bronx.

The bakery has grown to 120 stores in 20 states across the United States.