MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A young woman was yesterday nursing a gunshot wound may well be still alive because of the intervention of a licensed firearm holder who foiled an attempted robbery at a cash pot outlet in Hillside, on the outskirts of this town on Tuesday night.

Police say there was another cash pot robbery earlier in the afternoon at George’s Valley, also on the outskirts of Mandeville.

Reports are that in the Hillside incident a gunman brandished a gun at about 7:35 pm and ordered the shop attendant to turn over money. However, the young woman ran. The gunman fired a single shot, hitting her in the buttocks.

The licensed firearm holder challenged the armed robber and there was an exchange of gunshots. The gunman ran. Police say the licensed firearm holder was not hurt and that the assailant escaped.

Police say that earlier at about 5:45 pm, a cash pot attendant was robbed of cash by two gunmen in George’s Valley. The police suspect the two incidents are related.

Deputy Superintendent Hempford Wade, who is in charge of criminal investigations in Manchester, said investigators were making progress.

“We are getting intelligence that we are following up on and we are hoping that we can make arrests,” Wade said.

— Garfield Myers