Two Suspected Gang Members Fatally Shot in Spanish Town Police Operation

Two men believed to be members of the LOL criminal gang were fatally shot during a police operation in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, on Wednesday night. Members of the St. Catherine North operational support team acted around 9:20 p.m. on intelligence that the suspects were hiding in the St. John's Road community. Both men were shot and a firearm was seized.

Police said the pair had been hunted after a series of armed robberies at petrol stations along Dinary Road, West Main Drive, Maxfield Avenue and Harbour View on Wednesday. A female pump attendant was shot in the chest during the Dinary Road hold-up and remains hospitalised in serious condition. Video of the incident has been circulating on social media.

In Manchester, the parish's new police chief, DSP Odin Dennis, told a community meeting in Greenvale on Wednesday evening that curfews will not be a defining feature of his strategy in violence-affected communities, though he warned residents must play their part. He argued that frequent curfews are unsustainable and hurt law-abiding, hardworking people. Greenvale, once regarded as a crime hotspot, has seen a marked drop in violence in recent years, but police imposed a 48-hour curfew after a recent shooting. Dennis urged residents to report what they know so investigators can fully address incidents.

Podcaster JDJ Richards and music producer Javel "Javi Ambassador" Morrison had their bail extended Wednesday and must return to the Gun Court Division of the Supreme Court on October 28. Richards is charged with wounding with intent with a firearm, shooting with intent, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition, and using a prohibited weapon to commit a felony. Morrison faces charges of wounding with intent with a firearm, using a prohibited weapon to commit a felony, and assault occasioning bodily harm. The case stems from a shooting at an entertainment event on April 12 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St. Andrew, where three people were shot.

In West Albion, St. Thomas, residents displaced by last week's demolition of several homes say they are still waiting for answers from the National Land Agency. About 35 residents gathered at Grand Span Primary School on Thursday expecting to meet NLA representatives, only to be told the meeting had been cancelled after many had already arrived, with no prior notice. The NLA has maintained that the occupants were illegally settled on government-owned land, that it followed established protocols including notices and consultations from 2024, that the lands are reserved for development, and that 28 structures were identified for demolition. Residents say they need clear documents, information on the land's status, and a fair chance to be heard before any further action; some say Thursday's cancellation has deepened distrust while families remain displaced.

Opposition education spokesman Damian Crawford is again calling on the government to locate more than 300 students who have not returned to school since Hurricane Melissa. Nearly nine months after the storm, he said children in the worst-hit parishes are still out of the classroom and pressed for a collective response from the ministries of national security, social welfare, youth, education and housing, as well as the prime minister and Cabinet. He warned that pupils who have already lost almost a year of schooling will be difficult to reintegrate, and argued that lost housing may explain why some have not returned.