Elderly Bearer Gunned Down in Robbery

Lawrence Kessna, a 68-year-old bearer from Phase 2, Seaview Gardens, was shot dead during an attempted robbery on Half-Way Tree Road in St Andrew on Friday afternoon, Jamaican media reported. The killing happened on one of Kingston’s busiest commercial corridors and drew a large police response that slowed traffic across the area. Police were investigating on Saturday. The victim was identified by the Jamaica Observer, and additional details of the attack were reported by The Gleaner. ### Who was the man who was killed? Lawrence Kessna was identified as the victim by the Jamaica Observer, which said he was 68 and lived in Phase 2, Seaview Gardens in St Andrew. The report described him as a bearer employed at a popular financial institution. The Gleaner also identified Kessna as a 68-year-old bearer from a Seaview Gardens address and said his identity had not yet been officially confirmed late Friday. (jamaicaobserver.com) That account matched the Observer’s identification published the same day. ### What do reports say happened on Half-Way Tree Road? (jamaicaobserver.com) Friday afternoon’s attack took place on a section of Half-Way Tree Road in St Andrew, according to the Jamaica Observer. The newspaper said Kessna was killed after a tussle with a man who was attempting to rob him. The Gleaner reported that the shooting happened shortly before 2:30 p.m. after Kessna went to Scotiabank to conduct a transaction and was heading back to his workplace nearby. (jamaica-gleaner.com) Two men attacked him, The Gleaner said, with one assailant on foot and another on a motorcycle. (jamaicaobserver.com) Police sources cited by The Gleaner said Kessna resisted and was shot during the confrontation. He was taken to hospital, where he later died, the newspaper reported. ### How much money was involved, and was it taken? The Gleaner reported that the transaction involved J$10 million. (jamaica-gleaner.com) Acting Senior Superintendent Mark Harris, who is in charge of the St Andrew Central police division, told the newspaper, “We have the money.” That account indicates the cash was recovered after the attack. (jamaica-gleaner.com) The Jamaica Observer’s initial report did not specify an amount. ### What do witnesses and police say about the suspects? An eyewitness quoted by The Gleaner said panic spread after gunshots were heard near a gas station in the area. “Everybody started running when the shots went off,” the witness told the newspaper, adding that a motorcycle sped off toward Cross Roads shortly afterward. (jamaica-gleaner.com) Police personnel were in the vicinity at the time of the attack and responded quickly after the shooting, The Gleaner reported. Investigators pursued the suspects, but the men escaped, according to that report. ### Why does the location matter in this case? Half-Way Tree is one of the capital’s main transport and business hubs, with banks, stores and heavy pedestrian traffic concentrated along the corridor. (jamaica-gleaner.com) The shooting caused major gridlock along Half-Way Tree Road and nearby streets as investigators processed the scene, The Gleaner reported. Recent police messaging has also focused on robbery risks involving cash movement. The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s published crime-prevention guidance tells people to avoid taking large sums of money to and from banks and to use reputable security services or seek police assistance when moving cash. ### What have police said about crime in the division? (jamaica-gleaner.com) The St Andrew Central Police Division is leading the investigation, The Gleaner reported. The newspaper said robbery figures in the division were down 42% year-on-year to 15 cases up to May 9, from 26 in the same period of 2025. (jcf.gov.jm) The same report said murders in the division were down 13%, with 13 homicides recorded this year compared with 15 in the corresponding period last year. Those figures were cited by The Gleaner after Friday’s attack. The next public step is the St Andrew Central police investigation into the killing and the search for the two men who fled the scene, according to The Gleaner. (jamaica-gleaner.com) The Jamaica Constabulary Force also publishes contact information for tips and complaints on its website.