Three dead after police confrontation on Caledonia Road in Mandeville

Three people — one woman and two men — died after an alleged exchange of gunfire with officers at Horseshoe Curve on Caledonia Road in Mandeville on Saturday.

Authorities reported that two guns were recovered at the scene and that the two deceased men were already known to the force.

Manchester Constabulary units have stepped up action against crime and violence, citing unease over lottery scamming and related illegal trade. The parish, long favoured by returning residents for its cooler climate, has been shaken by two serious episodes within weeks.

Just over a week earlier, also along Horseshoe Curve, nursing student Deneekia Ponal and Sadifa Henry were shot dead when a gunman who had posed as a taxi passenger opened fire after stepping out of the vehicle.

Saturday’s confrontation followed when officers, police said, fatally wounded three people, among them a woman. According to police accounts, shortly after 4 p.m. they pursued a getaway car said to have been used in a string of robberies.

Officers stated that once the car was stopped, those inside fired at them, triggering a gun battle. After the shooting ended, police said the three wounded suspects were taken to hospital and declared dead on arrival.

Police again noted that two of the dead men were known to them. Sources place both recent killings near the same location, with the Saturday case distinguished by the recovery of two firearms.

Those killed on Saturday have been named as party promoter and mother Sutania Booth, also known as ChunChun, along with Lester Morris and Travis Baker.