‘Biscuit’ killed by masked men near St Michael home

Minutes before he took his last breath, Barbados’ latest murder victim, 47-year-old Adrian Noel Gibson, told residents that masked men had shot him during an attempted robbery.

Requesting anonymity, one resident told the media that the hardworking mechanic managed to get the words out before dying on his way for medical attention.

“He told me them did mask up and them come to rob he. He passed away on the way to the hospital. We were there trying to help him. At first, he tell me he get shoot in his hip, but I didn’t know he get shoot in the back too, because I would have snatch he up and carry he to the hospital,” the resident said.

“He didn’t even know he get shoot in the back or he would have told me. But he was good and lively all the time. He did in pain and thing but he did up and conscious. I was surprised that he dead.”

Gibson’s death near his Ashdeane Village, St Michael home has thrown members of the quiet, close-knit community into a state of shock and sadness, and left them yearning for answers.

According to a police report, Gibson, who was nicknamed Biscuit, was rushed by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), where he was later pronounced dead.

As investigators combed the scene, a resident recalled hearing the sound of gunshots that led him to rush to the area where he saw Gibson on the ground, rolling in pain, and his partner screaming.

“We don’t get no violence down in here. But a couple weeks ago, two men tried to rob a fella that I know from the farm at the top of this gap, but he get way and now it is two fellas that shoot Biscuit now,” he said.

He remembered the deceased as “a real good man”, adding: “He was a talented mechanic from school. He drop out of school and went straight to [being a] mechanic. When he was about 13, 14 years old, he could have pulled down an engine and put it back up.”

Kerry-Anne Bridgeman said the loss of Gibson, who played the role of a father figure in her life, was a difficult reality to process.

She said there were many times she was in distress, with no one else to turn to for help, and Gibson was always at her side.

“Only the other day he was saying we will come outside and sit down and talk about stones. Then when he get shot, the stones were on the ground all scattered about. He always happy…. Biscuit always happy. He was never a man to fret. He was really cool,” Bridgeman said.

Another resident said she would always remember Gibson as a dedicated mechanic who worked morning, noon, and night, even in the rain, to get the job done. The resident said she also noticed that Gibson was a family man who  always moved around with his partner and child.

Lawmen are appealing to anyone with information about the shooting to contact Police Emergency at 211, the Black Rock Police Station at 417-7500, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS (8477), or any police station.
(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)