Double Murder Gunshots Sounded Like

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Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Page 3 Double murder gunshots sounded like. MARLEY VALE Over at Geza’s Bar, a group of people had assembled, one of whom told Barbados STUNNED AS TODAY he heard the “plap, plap, plap” of gunshots, before “all these people coming ‘TWO GOOD down through here running left and right, screaming”. FELLAS’ ARE SHOT The man, who did not want to be named, said several of them were watching the T20 TO DEATH cricket match between the Barbados Tridents NEWS and Guyana’s Amazon Warriors when the by Ryan Gilkes shooting occurred. “We were all here backing up there The dark and cloudy skies – along with watching TV. As long as sports on we does be light drizzles - that covered Marley Vale, here. Just imagine if . . .,” he recounted as his St Philip today aptly captured the gloom voice trailed off. of a community staggered by the shocking The residents spoke in complimentary terms slaughter of two of its own. of the victims, insisting that both were good The still of a balmy Tuesday night was men who were never in trouble. shattered by gunfire last night, and when it was “They didn’t used to trouble nobody. They over, cousins Renaldo Gittens, 23 and Kyle . . . [were] no bad men. I could put my neck Rico ‘Sad Boy’ Burgess, 21, both of Eastpoint, out pun the block and swear for the two uh were dead. dem,” one woman told Barbados TODAY, using words to describe the dead men that The cause of the shootings was not Kyle Rico ‘Sad Boy’ Burgess immediately known, but police said in a were almost identical to those used by a male Renaldo ‘Conan’ Gittens statement that a number of persons were resident, who vouched that “none of them were liming in the area “when suddenly there was bad men. They were two good fellas. road’, so I just get up, put on my shirt, come another. If there is a dispute they does ‘gree a number of loud explosions which caused “None never thief, never break in no way, outside and I come down the road. Before I get back in the next five minutes. It don’t be the crowd to disperse. The two deceased men never went jail. You coulda call them to do down the road I hear my brother saying, ‘two nothing personal, it don’t be nutting like that. were then discovered lying motionless on anything for you and they would come. You uh dem dead there in de road’. I just come You would fall out now and quick so you and the ground”, one on the outside, the other on see, Conan [Renaldo] had it hard coming up down the road and see two of them here dead. the body that you fall out wid is friends. You the inside of a makeshift shed near the old . . . he mother dead and he father home there “When I get here I see one here laying giving then something to eat, something to Ralphie’s Minimart building. so sick,” the man said, while wondering what down and then I see another one of my friends drink, and that is it. It does be a cool vibe up There was a hive of activity outside the would happen to the elderly man now that his here inside the shed here dead. I went and hold here. abandoned outlet today, as a team of detectives son had been killed. he hand and I tell he, ‘I now tell you I gine “It don’t be nobody shooting at nobody, scoured the scene for clues and canvassed Decklon Jordan was Reco’s diving partner, home. I can’t believe you gone,’” Jordan said. nobody want to kill nobody. It don’t be the neighbourhood seeking information from and earlier in the day they were out to sea “He never used to get involved in nothing. nothing so. The two uh them fellas that residents, many of whom sat outside their together. He just used to go in the sea. He ain’t no dead, them don’t be involved in nothing and homes trying to make sense of last night’s They discussed returning to the water trouble person.” that is the sad thing ‘bout it. Them was just double homicide. today, before saying goodbye to each other. He said Marley Vale was a quiet unfortunate and dead. . . . I feel that the people One detective was overheard pleading with Moments later, Rico was dead. community, suggesting that this sort of activity that do this . . . didn’t come to pick and choose the residents, “if you know anything tell us. “When I left him, I told him I going in the was unusual. who to kill. The body come to just kill, and “Are you going to let these two lives go sea tomorrow [today]. I going home and get “Nothing so don’t go on so bout here. The they come and do it too,” Jordan suggested. down so?” he asked. some rest and that he could shout me. Two most the fellas does do [is] drink, play cards, “Officer, all I heard was puh-pax, pax,” a minutes later, I hear my mother say, ‘Decklon, smoke dem lil’ ting and that is it. They don’t [email protected] woman responded, trying to explain what the I hear like something like gunshots down the be no stabbing up, they don’t fight wid one Brathwaite under fire in the wake of double homicide by Colville Mounsey introduce legislation to combat the rising gun attorney general as a “mere spectator” who violence, before stating later that Government continued to remain silent while the country Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite is would call in the Barbados Defence Force was facing a crisis. facing intense political pressure following (BDF) to aid the police in bringing calm back “We cannot expect the police force to last night’s double homicide at Marley Vale, to the society, which many feel is under siege share operational details with the public, St Philip. by gunmen. but the country needs to hear from the The man shadowing Brathwaite for the However, with no visible signs of action leadership on what is being done to deal Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) from Government’s top legal advisor, Holder with these issues and what role we can play Dale Marshall, and the leader of Barbados today called on Prime Minister Freundel in the fight. The attorney general also has to Integrity Movement (BIM) Neil Holder are of Stuart to fire the attorney general if he refuses stop being a mere spectator in matters for the view that Brathwaite is asleep at the wheel to step down. which he has legal responsibility and which while the country’s safety and security careen “Tonight I am calling on the attorney he has the duty to initiate,” Marshall stated towards a precipice. general to resign. I am calling on you to in a press release. Police reported that 21-year-old Kyle Rico step down and do the honourable thing and The former attorney general accused Sad Boy Burgess and 23-year-old Renaldo remove yourself from that high office which Government of abdicating its responsibility Gittens, both of East Point, St Philip, were we once esteemed to be one that maintained at a time when the country is in need of shot and killed sometime before 8 p.m. last law and order in our country. Under the reassurance from its elected representatives. night. The men were liming with a group AG’s watch there has been chaos, crime and “I am gratified that two former when gunshots erupted, causing the crowd violence and it seems as though his boss, Commissioners of Police have been moved to flee in panic. It was not immediately clear Mr Freundel Stuart is happy with his poor in recent weeks to add their voices to the who was behind the shooting. performance. We the citizens of Barbados debate. Both highlighted the fact that one Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite Burgess and Gittens were later found lying are not happy with the AG’s performance, so of the major challenges for the proper motionless on the ground. the Honourable Freundel Stuart needs to find functioning of our police force was the this battle, and a battle it has now become. Last night’s killings took to five, the an interim attorney general who is willing absence of leadership at the highest level. To deny that in recent years there has been number for the month of August, and 25th to fight crime,” Holder said in a recorded It would therefore not be surprising that the a tremendous upsurge in firearm usage in for the year so far, surpassing the 22 murders statement to the media. Prime Minister of Barbados, who was on the Barbados would be to bury our heads in the for all of last year. All but four of this year’s Marshall also delivered a damning scene of the Marley Vale murders last night, sand,” Marshall stressed. homicides have been through shootings. indictment of Brathwaite’s handling of the declined to make any comment. Brathwaite recently announced plans to recent spate of shootings, describing the “The Government must give leadership to [email protected]