MALVERN, St Elizabeth – There was immense shock and anger in the usually quiet deep-rural area of Malvern following the murder of two men early Wednesday morning after a series of incidents.

One of the men, identified by his relatives as 37-year-old Mickel James, is said to have been killed after he and residents went in search of gunmen following a robbery at a bar in the neighbouring community of Hampton.

Sources identified the second victim as Courtney Smith, a resident of Santa Cruz.

READ: UPDATE: Two succumb to injuries in St Elizabeth gun attack

Residents say shortly after 3:00 am, the gunmen removed a burglar bar and entered the back room of a bar in Hampton. The bartender, who was said to have been in the room, was allegedly held at gunpoint and sexually assaulted.

The gunmen stole poker boxes, musical equipment, and an undetermined sum of cash, among other items in the bar. Some of the items were later abandoned in bushes by the gunmen.

James’s brother, Rushane, told the OBSERVER ONLINE that, following the robbery, residents from Smithfield, Kinowle, and Roseberry launched a manhunt for the gunmen.

“We were actively involved in a community search. Three communities were involved in the search for the gunmen,” he said.

Residents said the gunmen killed both men during their bid to escape the area as they were being cornered.

James’s uncle, Gladstone Chisholm, claimed his nephew recognised one of the gunmen before he was killed.

“It come in like you have some boy who been travelling, because dem don’t know the place. A hours beat dem enuh. My nephew – a him track dem down,” said Chisholm.

Residents claimed the men were killed a mile apart.

They said Smith was not a part of the search for the gunmen.

“Him just a go bout him own business to go on his farm,” said one resident.

Up to press time on Wednesday night, the police had not confirmed specific details of the incident, including the allegation of a woman being sexually assaulted.

Head of the St Elizabeth police Superintendent Dwight Daley told the OBSERVER ONLINE Wednesday morning that one of the suspects was apprehended and a motor vehicle used during the robbery seized.

Another of James’s relatives, Kevin Copeland, was shocked at the brazenness of the gunmen in Malvern.

“It is very surprising… to me dem a spot out the bar,” he said in reference to his belief that the culprits were surveilling the area before the robbery.

Copeland was grief-stricken when he heard of his brother’s murder.

“Mi deh home and my sister called to seh she hear seh something terrible happened. By the time she seh suh the phone drop out a mi hand because mi know seh two of my brothers were in the search, so mi a think bout something happen to one a them,” he said.

“Me go and see crowd and a him that mi see lay down on him face,” he added.

He said his brother decided to join with residents on the manhunt.

Another man who accompanied James managed to escape unharmed.

Residents described James as jovial and hard-working.

“If him deh yah suh right now him probably aguh tell u fi stop the noise based on how him stay… him get along with everybody,” said a resident.

Other residents spoke highly of James, who was a construction worker.

“If him never dead you would a hear fi him mouth right yah suh. Him help everybody, and you can see that he died willing to help because a lot of people wouldn’t help to go search,” another resident said.