Spanishtown police shootout leaves two dead after gas station robbery

Two men believed to be connected to a string of gas station hold-ups, including the shooting of a pump attendant on Dinary Road, were killed in a police operation on St. John's Road in Spanishtown, St. Catherine, on Wednesday night.

Senior Superintendent Hopton Nicholson, commanding officer for the St. Catherine North Police Division, told our newsroom the deceased were involved in robberies in the area. He could not yet confirm they were the same suspects in the afternoon shooting.

Reports indicate that around 9:00 p.m., officers acting on intelligence located the men sought over the shooting and recent service station robberies. Police say they identified themselves before the men allegedly drew firearms and opened fire. Officers returned fire. When the exchange ended, two men were found with gunshot wounds and a firearm was recovered.

Earlier Wednesday, CCTV footage circulated of an incident at a service station along Dinary Road around 1:36 p.m. The video shows a grey Toyota ProBox approaching a pump attendant beside a fuel pump. After a brief exchange, three men exited the vehicle with what appeared to be guns. They appeared to shoot the attendant, who fell, then re-entered the vehicle and drove away.

A 48-hour curfew took effect at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, in Land Settlement, Royal Flat, Comfort, and Broadleaf District in the Manchester Police Division. It runs until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 10. Residents within the designated boundaries must remain indoors unless authorised by the security forces member in charge.

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck at 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, according to the Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies. The tremor was located 11 km south of Hope Bay, Portland, and was reportedly felt in Kingston and St. Andrew. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management said it had received no damage reports but urged the public to stay prepared. Anyone who felt the quake is encouraged to submit a report to the Earthquake Unit.

The Government of Jamaica has announced humanitarian assistance for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela after twin earthquakes on June 24, 2026. Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Camino Johns Smith said the move reflects regional solidarity and longstanding ties, noting Venezuela's support after Hurricane Melissa even as Jamaica continues its own recovery. International rescue teams are withdrawing as efforts shift to recovery, while families search for missing relatives and authorities begin burying unidentified victims.

The modular housing programme has entered a construction and assembly phase following assessment and procurement delays linked to global shipping. The Prime Minister said base work and unit assembly should advance enough in coming months to begin handovers. Roughly 1,500 modular houses are already in Jamaica, with about 1,000 more expected by month's end.

The Chinese Embassy in Jamaica said Chinese companies operating locally pose no threat and should not see their lawful rights undermined by Jamaica's cooperation with the United States. The statement followed reports that US-based firm AECOM will conduct security assessments at Jamaica's three major commercial ports. The embassy noted a Chinese company holds shares in the Kingston Free Port Terminal but does not run port operations.

A defamation lawsuit brought by Government Minister Daryl Vaz against PNP General Secretary Dr. Dayton Campbell has been settled, following earlier agreements with St. Thomas Western MP James Robertson and former MP Lawrence over remarks at a PNP constituency conference in Clarendon on July 27, 2023. Under the settlement, Dr. Campbell signed a written apology withdrawing the statements as having "no foundation in truth" and being "categorically false." He must publish a video apology on social media by Thursday, July 9, place the apology in the Jamaica Gleaner and Jamaica Observer, and pay $1.5 million in costs. Robertson and Lawrence also settled, with details undisclosed apart from a Gleaner apology. The outcome has renewed debate over accountability and factual standards in political speech.