After nearly three hours of a violent standoff between Jamaican security forces and a gunman, the assailant was killed and taken away. Tuesday’s deadly altercations occurred on Caledonia Road in Mandeville, Manchester.
The shooting involved a close friend of the gunman, whom social media identified as “Brown Man”. The assailant, an alleged deportee, reportedly confronted his friend over the price of eggs. Allegations circulating online claim that Brown Man had wanted to buy a flat of eggs for $1,000, though the victim was charging $1,200.
The disagreement escalated when Brown Man allegedly pulled out a weapon and shot the vendor, who was sitting in his car at the time. Graphic video footage circulating online shows the victim slumped inside his vehicle, covered in blood.
It appears that the dispute may have begun on Monday night and leaked into Tuesday, based on Brown Man’s WhatsApp posts. In his final posts obtained by Moon-10, Brown Man apparently felt that he was disrespected and threatened to take action.
Yesterday, at 8:23 p.m., he posted, “Mi nuh tek violation and disrespect from nuh bwoy. You will pay the ultimate price for crossing a certain line,” and just one minute later, he shared, “The time has come to separate the men from the boys.” At 8:04 a.m. this morning, he shared a post, expressing gratitude to God for his blessings.
It is alleged that Brown Man opened fire on two bystanders while fleeing the scene, but it appears to be a rumour as no official news reports confirmed any other injuries or deaths. Police were reportedly in the air and swiftly responded to the explosions, leading to a confrontation at a nearby apartment complex.
Brown Man sought refuge in an apartment, and when police attempted to move in, the gunman fired repeatedly from inside the building. Officers were forced to retreat and call for backup. Witnesses recalled hearing relentless gunfire, with dozens of rounds echoing through the area. Some in the crowd claimed the suspect was heavily armed, though these details remain unverified.
Police teams from across Manchester and neighbouring parishes quickly descended on the scene, including specialised units and the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The confrontation stretched on for nearly three hours, with officers carefully surrounding the complex as they and the gunman continued to exchange fire.
The tension finally broke shortly after 1:00 p.m., when police confirmed that the suspect had been killed. No members of the security forces were injured during the exchange. Subsequent footage was released by a witness, showing police leaving the area with what appeared to be the assailant’s body covered in the back of the police vehicle. Another piece of footage shows when police arrived at a hospital where many gathered outside to look at the gunman, who remained in the back of the vehicle.
