A tragic shooting rocked the Papine Market in St. Andrew on Friday evening when a local vendor was gunned down by a lone gunman as she worked her stall.
The deceased has been identified as Khalene Bernard more popularly known as ‘Sonia’, the Manager of the Papine Market.
Bernard is also an employee of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).
According to witnesses, the gunman approached Sonia and fired several shots, hitting her multiple times in the head. She died instantly at the scene.
Police responded quickly to the area. In a dramatic twist, officers later confronted the suspected killer, who died during an alleged shoot-out.
Friends and coworkers expressed mixed feelings about the outcome. Many welcomed the swift justice delivered by police but said Sonia would be deeply missed in the tight-knit community.
The incident has left vendors feeling shaken. Market operations resumed, though the mood remained somber as people remembered their fallen colleague.