ST MARY, Jamaica – A man was fatally shot during a confrontation with the St Mary police on Monday morning, hours after he allegedly murdered a female shopkeeper in Annotto Bay in the parish. 

The deceased man has been identified as 25-year-old Fredrick Palmer, otherwise called ‘Sledge’, of Crooked River in Annotto Bay. 

Palmer was fingered as the triggerman in the shooting death of 45-year-old Claudia Consingh, also from Crooked River.

According to police reports, Consingh was at home about 5:30 pm on Sunday when she was called to attend a customer in the shop.

Upon her arrival at the shop, an armed man opened gunfire, hitting her in the head before escaping from the scene.

The police were summoned and Consingh was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Hours later, Palmer, who was suspected of being the shopkeeper’s killer, was shot by the police during a confrontation. He later succumbed to his injuries.

The incident occurred in a section of Annotto Bay about 2:28 am.

A .38 revolver was also seized after the incident, a representative of the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) informed OBSERVER ONLINE on Monday.