‘It was not a shoot-out’
Rose Heights residents reject police’s version of triple killing
Published:Wednesday | December 17, 2025 | 12:10 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Some residents of Rose Heights, St James, have rejected the police’s account of an incident in which three men were shot and killed and two firearms allegedly seized in the community on Monday.
The residents, who attempted to block the community’s main road in protest on Tuesday, were prevented from doing so.
According to the police, the men were fatally shot after officers intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus along 41 Boulevard in Rose Heights shortly after 2 p.m. The police said the occupants of the bus – five unidentified men – engaged them in a gunfight, during which three were killed and two escaped.
However, residents who attempted to block the road disputed this version of events, claiming that the men – whose correct names or aliases were not provided – were ambushed by the police, who they said opened fire without provocation.
“It was not a shootout. It was a shoot up, and nobody nuh escape. Three of dem were in the vehicle and di three of them get [killed],” one woman told The Gleaner yesterday. “It was an execution. Dem come fi dem and dem tek dem out.”
A police source, who did not disclose the names of the men or provide detailed background information, told The Gleaner that the deceased were members of a robbery syndicate responsible for a series of high-profile robberies in and around the Montego Bay business district.
“All a dem a bad man, and I am disappointed with the residents who are giving the impression that they were decent law-abiding citizens,” the police source said. “Those who are mourning, dem don’t love Jamaica because men like these pose a serious threat to peace and safety in Jamaica.”
Brazen robberies
Following the incident, a team from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) visited the scene. Assistant Commissioner Hamish Campbell confirmed that the oversight body has launched an investigation and that the police reported the seizure of two firearms.
In recent months, St James has been a hotspot for brazen robberies targeting members of the business community. In October, the police reported a major breakthrough with the arrest of a woman identified only as ‘Toots’, who was described as the mastermind behind one of the robbery syndicates.
Despite its violent history, having recorded more than 100 murders annually since 2005, St James appears on track for a significant reduction in homicides this year. As of December 13, the parish had recorded 52 murders, compared with 143 over the same period last year.