Manchester landscaper Andrew Williams found shot dead near Porus

The body of Andrew Williams, a 57-year-old landscaper and community cook known as One Son, was found riddled with gunshot wounds inside his home at Trinity near Porus, Manchester, last Thursday. Relatives who long feared his chronic illnesses would take his life say he was killed by co-workers, leaving the family struggling to understand a violent end they never expected.

Williams had survived eight strokes and lived with diabetes, severe hypertension and a heart condition. His eldest son, Castio, who lives overseas, said his mother — still close to Williams after their separation — called after neighbours reported him lying unconscious. Castio first told her to check for a pulse, believing another stroke or heart attack was likely. She soon reported blood at the scene and that neighbours who heard shots had warned people not to go inside. After the call cut off as he pressed her to enter, he asked a cousin in May Pen to drive over. About 20 minutes later the cousin confirmed it appeared Williams had been shot. The body was found in the bedroom.

"Nobody, nothing can justify that," Castio said. "He does not deserve that. He's a humble man." He described his father as a jack-of-all-trades who cooked for community and funeral events and also did landscaping, painting, plumbing and electrical work. "My father is an innocent man and I will take that to my grave. I will do everything within the law to bring justice and closure," he said. "That man is my hero and the hero of many people."

In separate remarks last Friday at Cedar Gardens, Meteorological Service of Jamaica climate services manager Jacqueline Spence-Hemmings warned that a strengthening El Niño is expected to keep temperatures well above normal for the rest of the year and into early spring 2027, peaking between October and December. She said Thursday’s update put the pattern at 1.2 degrees Celsius and rising quickly. Sangster International Airport has been in a 10-day warm spell since June 30, while Norman Manley International Airport recorded a hot-day spell from July 6 to 9, then a very hot day — the top category, tied to the 95th percentile of local temperatures, with warm and hot spells linked to the 85th and 90th percentiles. Saharan dust arriving every four to five days is adding to the oppressive conditions, she said, alongside limited rainfall and drought risk in some parishes. Early August outlooks favour below-normal rain and above-normal heat, though Spence-Hemmings and weather services manager Rohan Brown stressed rain remains possible in hurricane season. Brown said heat and Saharan dust are the main hazards now, with milky skies, reduced visibility and risk for people with asthma or allergies. A June Ministry of Health and Wellness release urged vulnerable persons to stay indoors, wear masks and long sleeves, protect their eyes, wash hands often and treat water stored for domestic use.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica’s 2025 Economic and Social Survey also reported that a National Water Commission customer amnesty begun in January 2025 collected $769 million, processed more than 15,000 customer requests and resolved about $1.9 billion in legacy debt, including relief for pensioners and PATH beneficiaries. A follow-up MSME amnesty from September to December 2025 brought in $17.5 million and addressed a further $18.2 million in arrears.