Gunmen kill one, wound another in Mandela Highway ambush near Caymanas

A man was killed and another hospitalised after gunmen riding a motorcycle attacked a truck travelling along the Mandela Highway on Friday morning, forcing the closure of the westbound lane that leads to Spanish Town and Portmore while officers worked the scene.

According to the police, the attack unfolded around 7:15 am as a Ford Transit truck made its way westward and approached the junction with Caymanas. Shortly after the driver brought the vehicle to a halt, two men aboard a motorbike pulled up on the right-hand side and discharged several rounds through the front passenger window and windshield.

Two people inside the truck were hit. Both were transported to hospital, where one succumbed to his injuries and the other was admitted for treatment.

Officers have since sealed off the affected stretch of road and begun their probe, with traffic being redirected. Drivers heading in that direction are being urged to take the toll road or other alternative routes.

Observer Online understands that detectives are working on the theory that the truck's driver, described as a well-known businessman from Spanish Town, was the gunmen's actual mark. The man who died has not yet been formally identified.

More details to come.