ST JAMES, Jamaica — Sixteen-year-old Cornwall College student Mark Williams was pronounced dead at hospital on Tuesday night after gunmen ambushed his stepfather, a police corporal assigned to the Trelawny Police Department, and fired a barrage of bullets at them at the intersection of the Meadows of Irwin and Tucker in St James.

According to the police, about 9:20 pm the police corporal went to pick up his step-son, who was coming from Bible Studies in John’s Hall, St James, with his private motor vehicle, when they were attacked shortly after the teenager alighted from a taxi.

“As he [the police corporal’s step-son] disembarked a taxi and was approaching the car, they heard explosions coming from nearby bushes. He saw three men running towards his car from the rear firing at them; he returned the fire and the men made good their escape.

His step-son on hearing the explosions ran off,” a police sergeant told OBSERVER ONLINE shortly after the incident.

He said the teenager was later found suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The police corporal escaped unhurt, but bullets reportedly extensively damaged his motorcar.

OBSERVER ONLINE understands that the police corporal is involved in a case in which he reportedly shot and injured an alleged murderer in Ironshore, St James last year.

That matter is currently on trial.

Mark Cummings