Police fatally shot two men in the Burger Gully area of St Andrew. The incident unfolded on Thursday afternoon. Up to now, the identities of the two men have not been confirmed. What is known is that officers reported recovering two firearms at the scene.
However, it is unclear if there was a shootout between the two men and the officers. The section of Burger Gully where the shooting occurred was cordoned off, with investigators carefully examining the area. Footage taken by an onlooker shows officers moving through the area as residents looked on from a distance.
Gruesome images obtained by Moon 10 show the firearms and ammunition said to have been seized, and the deceased. One of the men can be seen lying on the ground outside in a pool of blood. He is dressed in black with a mask on.
Meanwhile, the other was captured shirtless inside a house. Both appeared to have suffered multiple injuries; while the one outside seemingly sustained head and hand injuries, the other was apparently shot in the head and in the chest. The shooting marks the latest incident linked to the growing fatal police confrontations this year.
According to the Independent Commission of Investigations, there have been 3 fatal police shootings in December as of December 3rd, while the year-to-date report details that there have been 283 fatal shootings. Meanwhile, Jamaica has recorded the lowest murder rate in a very long time. Prime Minister Andrew Holness noted in late November that for the first time in 40 years, Jamaica could see a murder rate lower than 700 in a year.
He credits the government’s $90 billion investment in the island’s security force over the past nine years as the reason for this huge decline in murders. He said, “As a result of that, the murder rate is now down 42 per cent this year, 21 per cent last year, and seven per cent the year before. So now we can, for the first time in over 30… almost 40 years… look for a murder rate that is below 700.”
