Some students had the scare of their life after gunmen, a security guard and a police officer traded bullets in a daylight shoot-out on the campus of the University of the West Indies yesterday.
The incident left one man dead, a security guard injured and three persons, including a sixteen-year-old youth, in police custody.
An illegal firearm was also recovered.
THE STAR learned that men from a nearby community went on to a construction site which was being operated on campus in search of work.
It was further understood that upon entering the worksite, the men encountered rival gang members. The men obviously saw this as the perfect opportunity to challenge their rivals, so they left and returned with guns.
The now-armed men were in for a rude awakening, as a police officer dressed as a civilian saw what was about to happen and decided to intervene.
A gun battle then ensued between the officer and the men, who ran in a bid to escape.
When the shooting ended, one of the men was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead.
These reports were confirmed by the police, who also reportedly seized an illegal .38 revolver.
A security guard who allegedly tried to aid the police officer was also shot and injured. Up to press time he was said to be in stable condition at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
The St. Andrew Central police are investigating.
Meanwhile, some students, though a bit shaken up by the incident, are thanking the police officer who braved the situation and challenged the gunmen.
Students of the university with whom THE STAR spoke noted that the situation could have been much worse had the brave cop not decided to intervene.
"I was frightened, of course. I saw everything ... It was a very dangerous situation but had the officer done nothing, who knows what could have happened? Maybe some students would have got hurt," one witness and student of the university said.
Rakeem said
07:23 12/19 2007
jah know.. a wha do dem yute yah...
linko said
08:56 12/19 2007
BIG UP DI POLICE DEM WEH A STAY LOYAL TO DI JUSTICE SYSTEM WE NEED SUM MORE A DEM ELSE JAMDUN G AGO CONTUNUE DECAE
jamaicabwoy said
11:24 12/19 2007
UWI turn gunman town now ??!!
Blue said
07:44 12/20 2007
well..dem caah com a utech with that shiit
mz más quería veterano said
07:58 12/20 2007
THEM YUTE CROSS!!!!!!!!!
rrDesignZ said
08:05 12/20 2007
rugu the police man a guh hard
cabal171 said
15:00 12/20 2007
man cudnt get sum strap weh use clip? a page man wid barel 38. and how dem mek 1 police mek dem affi run? if a mi a di don mi tek mi gun dem from dem
Jewlz said
17:24 12/20 2007
me work a UWI enuh, dem bwoi deh cudnt escape, once one shot buss, the whole a campus gate dem lock and all police personnel are dispatched, so whoeva dem bwoi deh be salt from long time. a Guardsman tek ova up yah now
Some students had the scare of their life after gunmen, a security guard and a police officer traded bullets in a daylight shoot-out on the campus of the University of the West Indies yesterday.
The incident left one man dead, a security guard injured and three persons, including a sixteen-year-old youth, in police custody.
An illegal firearm was also recovered.
THE STAR learned that men from a nearby community went on to a construction site which was being operated on campus in search of work.
It was further understood that upon entering the worksite, the men encountered rival gang members. The men obviously saw this as the perfect opportunity to challenge their rivals, so they left and returned with guns.
The now-armed men were in for a rude awakening, as a police officer dressed as a civilian saw what was about to happen and decided to intervene.
A gun battle then ensued between the officer and the men, who ran in a bid to escape.
When the shooting ended, one of the men was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead.
These reports were confirmed by the police, who also reportedly seized an illegal .38 revolver.
A security guard who allegedly tried to aid the police officer was also shot and injured. Up to press time he was said to be in stable condition at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
The St. Andrew Central police are investigating.
Meanwhile, some students, though a bit shaken up by the incident, are thanking the police officer who braved the situation and challenged the gunmen.
Students of the university with whom THE STAR spoke noted that the situation could have been much worse had the brave cop not decided to intervene.
"I was frightened, of course. I saw everything ... It was a very dangerous situation but had the officer done nothing, who knows what could have happened? Maybe some students would have got hurt," one witness and student of the university said.