Local cast mourns for murdered actor

The quiet of the Rock Hall, St George community was shattered just before noon today when gunshots rang out. When the dust had settled, 22-year-old Graham Norville lay in the road dead.

The father of two, of No.14 Lemgreene, Lemon Arbour, St John is the island’s 11th murder victim for 2019. His lifeless body was found “lying on the road in a pool of blood” following a shooting at Rock Hall, near Taitt Hill around 11:52 a.m. Saturday, February 16.

Norville is known for his role as Short Boss on the Barbadian web video series Badness.

Dwayne Harris, director and lead actor in the popular series told Barbados TODAY that the cast was devastated by the news of Norville’s murder.

He said the deceased who was seeking to further his career in the local film industry had “great potential”.

“He was a very great individual. He had some things about to happen for him in the film industry. It is just sad that he had to pass so early,” Harris said, while adding that he hoped the content of the web series would not be aligned with the circumstances surrounding Norville’s death.

Prominent youth activist and facilitator of the Nature Fun Ranch, Corey Lane, who has also acted in the web series, shared that Norville was also a songwriter, singer and an artiste.

The activist issued a call for early intervention of the nation’s youth so they would not fall victim to crime and violence.

“If we could only facilitate our young men . . . within the society . . . we could really put a dent in the fatalities, the murders and even everyday crime and violence in the society,” said Lane.

He went on to suggest that the public use Norville’s death as a motivation to rescue the island’s youth so the cycle of violence would not repeat itself.

“The saddest comment that I have heard thus far is that these guys live by the gun and therefore they will die by the gun and while it maybe a fact, I think there is much more we can do as a society to be proactive as opposed to reactive. One of the other things that is very important is prevention and reaching our teenagers, of young teenage age, to prevent them from having to walk down this road because it is much easier as the saying goes to bend a boy than break a man.

“His death does not have to be in vain. His death can be a rallying call for all of us to double down and save our youth and save our society,” he said. (KK)