A security guard attached to Atlas Protection Company was shot and killed during a mid-morning robbery in Ocho Rios that left many commuters in shock and sent others scampering for cover.

The dead security guard has been identified as 52-year-old, Gilbert Davis of Port Maria, St Mary. Davis, who has been employed with Atlas Protection Company since November, 2007. Davis had also served in the Jamaica Defence Force, retiring at the rank of a sergeant.

Reports are that about 10 a.m., Davis and two other employees of Atlas Protection went to pick up cash from a shop at Island Village. The other two security guards had gone to collect the money leaving Davis, the armed driver, in the vehicle.

It is reported that while the car park of the Island Village Shopping Centre, two men approached him and opened fire killing him. He was then tossed from the car before the shooters drove away the vehicle with a large quantity of cash inside.

An off-duty policeman then spotted a car driving recklessly on the Drax Hall-to-Steer Town main road and gave chase.

The car later crashed into an embankment near the bailey bridge in Steer Town and the sole occupant alighted and ran into nearby bushes with what appeared to be a bag containing some of the stolen money.

The police officer, who gave chase, checked the vehicle, discovered that the car contained a large quantity of cash and called for assistance.

Police personnel later arrived on the scene and took the car to the St Ann's Bay police station where it was impounded and the cash removed.

The police are so far unable to quantify the amount of money that the robber escaped with.