St. Mary teen faces gun charges after shooting as Clarendon murder and Crossroads protest draw attention

A 17-year-old is before the courts on several firearm-related counts after an alleged shooting incident in Arabessa, St. Mary, earlier this month that left one man wounded and involved an exchange of gunfire with an off-duty policeman.

According to the Port Maria Criminal Investigation Branch, around 10:30 p.m. the teenager went to the home of a man with whom he had an ongoing feud. Investigators say an argument grew into a physical confrontation during which the teen allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband, aimed it at the man, and shot him in the arm.

An off-duty officer who stepped in to calm the situation was allegedly fired upon. Fearing for his life, the officer reportedly returned fire. The teen is said to have escaped in a Toyota Probox after ordering the driver at gunpoint to take him elsewhere. He later turned up at hospital with gunshot wounds to the abdomen, received treatment, and was placed in police custody. After questioning in the presence of his attorney, he was charged with wounding with intent while using a firearm on two counts, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition, shooting with intent using a firearm to commit a felony, unlawful detention, common-law assault on two counts, using a firearm to commit a first-schedule offence, and being part of a criminal organisation.

In Clarendon, 50-year-old construction worker Shan Cutterell, also known as Bobby, of Brandon Hill, has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing 69-year-old farmer Errol Blacka Nelson during a Sunday domino game. Police say the two were at Nelson's business premises around 2:00 p.m. when a dispute escalated into a fight. Nelson was later found face down in a pool of blood along the roadway. Cutterell surrendered at Frankfield Police Station and was taken to May Pen Police Station. On Monday, June 29, he reportedly gave police a confession statement and was formally charged. His court date is being finalised.

In St. Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday, Parish Judge Janelle Nelson-Gale directed police to charge a complainant with creating public mischief after she admitted she had falsely claimed she was attacked with a gun when the weapon was in fact a knife. Chadwick Powell, who had been charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and assault occasioning bodily harm over a June 14, 2026 dispute, was granted bail in his own recognisance after the firearm count was dropped. He is scheduled to return to court on September 8 on the assault charge.

Hundreds of Jamaicans wearing yellow gathered at Crossroads in St. Andrew on Tuesday morning to protest governance issues, including the Jamaica–United States third-country nationals agreement, the use of donations for Hurricane Melissa, and the Integrity Commission's report on Cabinet minister Dr. Andrew Wheatley. The rally was organised by civil society group Advocates Network, whose representatives stressed calls for good governance, human rights, and constitutional reform.

Scotiabank Jamaica has condemned a weekend break-in at the ATM servicing room of its Portmore branch, describing it as an attack on the bank's operations amid wider criminal targeting of the financial sector. Police have launched a manhunt after several safes were emptied; each safe reportedly contained about $20 million. The bank said it is cooperating with law enforcement while working to restore ATM services and urging customers to use other branches or digital platforms.