A daring robbery attempt at a Western Union outlet in Hope Bay, Portland, ended in tragedy early Monday morning when one of the attackers was fatally shot and eight others taken into custody.
According to police reports, around 2 a.m. a group of at least five men, armed with handguns, forced their way into the establishment by removing a door at the rear of the building. Their plans, however, were interrupted when a licensed firearm holder confronted them.
“Armed men broke into the business place and he (the firearm holder) challenged them. During the exchange of gunfire, one man was hit,” explained Superintendent Ainsley McCarthy, head of the Portland Police Division.
Law enforcement quickly responded to the scene, securing the area and rushing the injured man to the Port Antonio Hospital, where he later died. Police also seized a motor vehicle suspected to have been used in the attempted heist, detaining its driver. Follow-up investigations and operations led to the capture of seven additional suspects. Officers also recovered a 9mm pistol and several rounds of ammunition.
Superintendent McCarthy revealed that among those detained are the mother and sister of one of the men linked to the robbery attempt. He further noted that none of the suspects are from Portland, with their addresses traced to Kingston, St Andrew, and St Catherine.
Issuing a stern warning, McCarthy declared: “If your intentions are not good, do not come into the parish of Portland.”