Two licensed firearm holders exchanged gunfire in Sam Sharpe Square, causing chaos in the town.
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Senior Superintendent Carlos Russell, head of the St. James Police and Justice Minister Delroy Chuck
Pandemonium erupted in downtown Montego Bay on Tuesday after two licensed firearm holders exchanged gunfire in Sam Sharpe Square.
The shootout, which was reportedly sparked by road rage, forced shoppers, pedestrians and motorists to take evasive action from the gunfire.
The two firearm holders were injured during the shooting and have been hospitalised under police guard.
Senior Superintendent Carlos Russell, head of the St. James Police, told Radio Jamaica News the incident happened sometime after 2:00 p.m. and was sparked by a motor vehicle accident.
He said the incident escalated and both men pulled firearms and shot each other.
The police are probing the incident, and expect that the men will be charged.
Chuck outraged
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has condemned the incident in Montego Bay.
Mr. Chuck told the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon that the government intends to speed up the passage of legislation to combat road rage and road fatalities.
Citing the shooting, Mr. Chuck said the level of indiscipline on Jamaica's roads indicates the urgent need for the new road traffic regulations to come into effect "so that the work of the police can be improved".
The Justice Minister, who was speaking during debate on the Transport Authority Act, also expressed concern that road fatalities continue rise despite the crackdown by the police.
He noted that over the last five years, the country has averaged in excess of 500,000 traffic tickets per year but indisciplined motorists have been ignoring them, with "more than half" of them refusing to pay.
"They are collecting traffic tickets like confetti, and the truth is, we in this Parliament... need to respond to ensure that when the police police the roads and issue tickets that they are complied with," he told the House.
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