MONTEGO BAY, St James – Three gunmen yesterday invaded the Farm Primary and Junior High School in Green Pond, shot a vendor to death and injured two others in a brazen mid-morning attack that sent students and teachers running for cover.

The education ministry is Monday expected to send a team to the school to counsel the traumatised teachers and students, some of whom sought cover under desks when one of the bleeding vendors, said to be a pregnant woman, fled to one of the classrooms for refuge.

The dead vendor was identified as 40-year-old Dennis DePass.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the attack, which took place at about 10:45, minutes after classed resumed after the morning break.

Sources said the three young men, all heavily-armed, walked up to the vending area and began firing a barrage of shots, creating mayhem as people in the vicinity fled for cover.

When the smoke cleared, it was realised the three had been shot. The pregnant woman was in serious condition last night, while the other injured vendor was treated.

The police were last night maintaining a heavy presence in the area.

Just Wednesday this week the Green Pond High School was robbed of approximately $500,000 in computer and other supplies by about 12 men. It could not be ascertained, however, if yesterday’s shooting had anything to do with the theft.

Yesterday’s shooting at Farm Primary came only two days after a student of the Ferncourt High School in St Ann was stabbed to death by a boy from another school in the parish, which resulted in a call from the education minister for tighter security at public schools.