A child is among five persons who were shot and wounded during new year celebratory gun salutes across two police divisions, this morning (January 1).

The incidents occurred in the St. Catherine North and St. Andrew South police divisions.

In the latest incident at about 2:30am, an elderly woman was shot while sleeping at her home, on John’s Road in St. Catherine.

She is being treated at hospital.

Senior Communication Strategist at the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Dennis Brooks, told Irie FM News that 4 other persons were also shot and wounded by stray bullets in separate incidents.

He lamented that illegal gun salutes remain a challenge each year.