ARMED men yesterday morning opened fire at the busy Young Street/Old Market Street intersection in the volatile old capital of Spanish Town in St Catherine, injuring six people.

Police said several businesses in that section of the town pulled their shutters, while shoppers ran for cover as the gunmen sprayed the area with bullets for about five minutes.

After the smoke cleared six persons were injured. Five were admitted to hospital. They are:

. Dennis Rose, 46, of 96 St Johns Road;

. Charles Hall, 62, of 27 Job Lane;

. Wayne Rowe, 26, of 10 Huckerby Avenue;

. Juliet Richards, 29, of 38 King Street, and

. Andrew Rowe, 24, of Ensom Avenue, Ensom City, all of Spanish Town.

Hospital sources said Rose and Hall were admitted in serious condition and had to be taken to the operating theatre. Andrew Gregg, 12, of 3127 Syncona Boulevard, Elthan View, Spanish Town was treated and released.

Up to late last night it could not be ascertained from the police whether a bicycle repairman, who was the intended target, was among those hospitalised.

“Them dark up the place with the gunshot them and everybody run and hide; we haffe lock up we shop,” said a woman who said she witnessed the shooting. “Them man deh no skin up,” she added.

According to the Spanish Town police, at about 12:45 p m two men walked casually up Waterloo Lane onto Old Market Street, stopped at the intersection of Young Street and Old Market Street where a man was patching a bicycle tyre.

The men, the police said, pulled guns and shot the bicycle repairman on his hand. The man ran but the gunmen continued to wildly, hitting five other people who were running from the scene.

A number of spent shells were recovered from the scene.