KINGSTON, Jamaica — The police have theorised that attempted robbery was the motive behind Wednesday’s early morning shooting on Old Hope Road which resulted in a traffic pile-up in the area.

In a release on Wednesday afternoon, the police’s corporate communications unit revealed that police responded to the scene at approximately 3:16 am to find one man suffering from gunshot wounds in the vicinity of Jamaica House. Police say they were alerted to loud explosions in the area in what they believe was an interruption of a robbery in progress.

The victim found on the scene of the crime was reportedly assisted to the hospital by the police in a private vehicle. The other – who reportedly fled the scene during the shooting – was found shortly after and also received emergency medical care.

The incident caused a section of Hope Road in Kingston, stretching from the Police Officer’s Club to King’s House, to be declared impassable.

READ: Section of Hope Road impassable as police process crime scene

According to the police, at 4:11 am, contacts were made with investigators at the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), who were also required to process the scene on account of the police responding to the robbery. INDECOM commenced their independent investigation at the scene at 6:13 am.

The JCF says it is rigorously pursuing all leads and have already secured CCTV footage that may be pivotal to the investigation.