The northcoast resort city of Montego Bay was jolted back to reality yesterday after the successful Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, as police sharpshooters took out five alleged gunmen, in a fierce firefight in broad daylight.

Three of the dead men have been identified by police as Kirk Thomas, alias “Joe” of John’s Hall, Colin Palmer “Teacher” of Tucker and Stratty McLeod, also of Tucker, all in the parish of St James. The other two were unidentified at Observer press time.

Thomas and McLeod were wanted by the St James police for several alleged murders and shootings committed in the parish, which got the dubious distinction of being the parish with the most murders so far this year.

Police said they also recovered four guns – one .25 guardian automatic; a 9mm semi-automatic; a homemade shotgun and a imitation revolver – 31 rounds of ammunition, a number of cellular phones and a mask.

Accounts by residents who witnessed the dramatic gunfight in apparent disbelief, seemed to support police version that there was an exchange of gunfire when the cops challenged the five men travelling in a grey Honda Accord motorcar registered EK 1085.

The gunbattle along the usually busy Barnett Street in the vicinity of Fustic Road, came against the run of play yesterday as Montego Bay quietened down after a weekend of jazz that filled and overflowed the city’s hotels.

Superintendent in charge of crime for Area One, Wilford Gayle told reporters last night that the police were on patrol at about 2:30 pm yesterday when the grey Honda motorcar was spotted along Barnett Street.

“Five men alighted from the car and they were accosted by the police. The gunmen pulled their guns and a shoot-out ensued. Three of the men were shot on Barnett Street. One along McCathy Street and the other along Foster Avenue,” Gayle said. All of them were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where they were pronounced dead,” said Gayle.

The windscreen of the motor car in which the alleged gunmen were travelling was riddled with bullets while the interior was bloodied. Last night the police had not yet determined who owned the vehicle or whether it had been stolen.

For much of the afternoon, a large crowd of curious onlookers converged on Madden’s Funeral Home on Union Street, Montego Bay where the men were taken after being pronounced dead at hospital. Inside, a few friends and family members grieved.

“Me caan believe say him dead”, one woman who claimed that she was a friend of one of the deceased, said tearfully.

But in small groups outside the funeral home on Union Street, and also on Barnett Street where the gunbattle started, the reaction was different. According to a senior citizen, who said he watched the bullets fly from his balcony on Barnett Street, the police deserve a medal.

“Man, me hear plenty gunshots and mi see the police dem a fire back at the gunmen… but all me know, the police dem fi get a medal. Dem good man, dem good,” he said, shaking his head in amazement.

The police have asked robbery victims to come to the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay to identify the car and the men.

Yesterday’s incident brought to six the number of alleged gunmen killed in St James by cops since the start of the year, and to nine, the amount of firearms recovered in the parish.

Since January 1, there have been 28 reported murders in the parish, the latest one occurred yesterday morning. The body was identified as Beryl Crooks, 42 of Joan Avenue, Glendevon near Montego Bay. Police said she was killed by unknown assailants near 9:00 am.

And police reported last night that they had captured a man they described as St Andrew South’s most wanted gunman. His name was being withheld.

The man was taken from a taxi, along with two other men, in the heart of Montego Bay yesterday evening.