Man arrested in probe into New Year’s Day gun salute injury of teen girl in Portmore

A man whom the police say is a suspect in the case of a teenage girl who was shot during a gun salute incident on New Year’s Day in Portmore, St Catherine was arrested today and a firearm was seized.

The police report that about 5:00 a.m., personnel from the Area Five Fugitive Apprehension Team, armed with a search warrant, swooped down on a house on Violet Close in Braeton and conducted a search.

According to the police, a .45 Colt MK pistol affixed with a magazine containing one round of ammunition was discovered.

The man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a prohibited weapon and unauthorised possession of ammunition.

His name has been withheld pending further investigation.

The police further reported that the suspect is the subject of an investigation into the shooting and injury of a teenage girl on a verandah on January 1, 2026.

According to the police, about 12:02 a.m., a 13-year-old Canadian national who was visiting relatives was standing on a balcony at a residence in Portmore, St Catherine, observing New Year’s fireworks celebrations when she was struck by bullets.

Moments after midnight, loud explosions were heard, after which the teen felt sharp pains in her thigh and back, the police reported.

She was assisted to hospital, where she has been admitted in stable condition.

- Rasbert Turner

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