Former national female footballer, Bernadette 'Lorraine' Mair, was shot and killed by a gunman in downtown, Montego Bay, St James.

"This is absolutely shocking," said Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell. "This is definitely a dark day in the life of the local sporting fraternity."

Reports are that shortly after 11 a.m., the diminutive Mair, who is believed to be in her early 30s, was standing in downtown Montego Bay, where she has been selling newspapers for several years, when she was approached by a gunman, who opened fire, killing her on the spot.

Residents turned out after the shooting and spoke about the respect they had for Mair.

"She was a young woman whom I always admired," wailed an elderly woman, as she stared at Mair's body lying beside her newspaper stand. "She had an unbelievable work ethic; rain or shine, she was always here selling her newspapers."

Mair also represented teams such as Allan Eagles, Untouchable Strikers and the Trelawny Women's Team, which she represented in the just-concluded Sherwin Williams Women's National Premier League Competition. Her ability to kick the ball with both feet was greatly admired by her peers and male counterparts

The Montego Bay police are yet to establish a motive for the killing. There have been 209 murders in St James this year.