Preliminary investigations by the May Pen police have revealed that two of four men who were fatally shot in a gun battle with police officers after an attempted robbery in Tollgate, Clarendon, yesterday, were linked to a string of earlier robberies in the Clarendon Police Division.

A third member, a 15-year-old boy was shot and injured, while the fourth is on the run.

The men had reportedly attacked a business place about 12:45 p.m. in Tollgate and attempted to rob the patrons, but was confronted by a licensed firearm holder. He shot at the men who returned fire. A gun battle followed, but the men managed to escape in a waiting motor car.

Their getaway was cut short, however, when the car crashed just a few metres away from the site of the attempted robbery. The men then alighted from the vehicle and continued the shoot-out with the licensed firearm holder.

Minutes later, a policeman who was near the gun battle joined the shoot-out and the gunmen subsequently ran in separate directions.

Quick action on the part of the May Pen police took officers to a premises in Tollgate, where one of the men, identified as 21-year-old Livingston 'Spragga' Brown was found. When the police allegedly attempted to apprehend him, he reportedly attacked them with a machete. He was shot and killed.

Police were later called to the May Pen Hospital where the 15-year-old boy was released into their custody. He had been taken to the hospital by residents who had found him with gunshot wounds.

Later that evening, about 6:05, the remaining two members of the group struck again at another location in Tollgate.

The police officers who responded to this attempted robbery were greeted with gunfire. The officers returned fire and one of the men, Collie Burrell, also known as 'Town-man', was shot and injured while his companion managed to escape. The police seized a .38 revolver, serial number obscured, loaded with six .38 cartridges. An additional six .38 rounds were also taken from his pants pocket. He was taken to the May Pen Hospital where he died.

The vehicle in which the four gunmen were travelling was seized. Investigations also revealed that the vehicle was stolen on July 3.