Christ Church residents worried about safety following fatal shooting

Residents of a Christ Church community have been left shakened and uneasy following a shooting on Wednesday night that left one of their neighbours dead.

Members of the Keizer Hill Drive, Drayton Close, Enterprise community, still reeling from the shock of the incident in their peaceful district, told Barbados TODAY they are now worried about their safety.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, residents said they could not believe the loud noises that shattered the quiet and serenity of their neighbourhood were gunshots that claimed the life of a man.

Many said they thought the noise came from fireworks.

“….That is what the shots sounded like – continuous fireworks,” said one resident. “I have been living here [in Drayton Close] for 20 years and I have never experienced anything so. Out here is a place where you can leave your door open.”

According to police reports, the man and his female companion, whose name has not yet been released, had just arrived home at their apartment in Keizer Hill Drive, Endeavour, Enterprise, in their vehicle, when a number of armed men emerged from a dark bushy area and opened fire on them.

The two attempted to escape but the man was shot multiple times and died on the scene while the woman sustained several gunshot injuries and was transported by ambulance for medical treatment. She was said to be in a serious but stable condition.

The assailants fled the scene in Harvey’s vehicle. Police received the report about the incident around 9:30 p.m.

A 61-year-old resident recalled watching television with his son when the shots rang out. He admitted he was left uneasy by the ordeal.

“My son told me to get down and I hid behind the sofa,” he said. “Seriously, this is the first time I ever experienced something like that . . . . I have been living here for more than 20 years . . . . I heard about people who went to war talk about being shell shocked but never believed it would happen to me.”

Another man who has resided in the district for 14 years, said he was grateful his daughter was not at his home when the gunmen opened fire as it could have left her traumatised. He said he was also concerned that a stray bullet could have hit an innocent person.

He added that there were several elderly people in the neighbourhood and the incident had made them “uncomfortable”.

The Drayton Close residents said they did not know much about the couple, stating that they had recently moved into the area and were renting. They said they would see them leaving and returning home.

When a Barbados TODAY team approached residents in Endeavour, they declined to comment.

Efforts to reach Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce were unsuccessful.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb