A 37-year-old Jamaica Defence Force soldier was shot dead in a hail of bullets along Eve Lane in Kingston late Sunday night, leaving investigators with a firearm, spent shell casings and a vehicle to piece together the circumstances of his killing.

The deceased has been identified in the report as Andrae Thompson, a member of the JDF.

According to preliminary information, residents reported hearing several explosions resembling gunshots in the vicinity of Prestige Bakery at approximately 11 p.m. on September 13 and alerted the police.

When officers arrived, they reportedly discovered a silver Toyota Axio parked along Eve Lane with all four doors open.

A search of the immediate area led to the discovery of Thompson lying face down in bushes beside the vehicle. He was reportedly in a pool of blood and appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.

During the subsequent removal of his body, investigators reportedly recovered a Wesson pistol from nearby bushes along with a magazine containing four live 9mm hollow-point rounds. The weapon was believed to belong to the deceased, according to the preliminary report.

Detectives from the Area Four Scenes of Crime unit processed the scene and recovered two .45 spent casings, a blood sample, a Samsung cellular phone and a wallet.

The wallet reportedly contained a firearm user’s licence, US$40, bank cards and other personal items.

Investigators also processed the Toyota Axio and reportedly found a 9mm spent casing inside the right front-door compartment, adding another element to what is shaping up to be a potentially complex ballistic investigation.

The vehicle was subsequently removed to the Fletcher’s Land Police Station as investigators continued their probe.

The report did not establish a motive for Thompson’s killing or indicate whether investigators had identified any suspects.

Police investigations are continuing.