A Christ Church young man escaped serious injury in an accident today only to be slain moments later in a shooting at Kendal Hill, Christ Church on Friday.
Miguel Taitt, 28, died in a gun attack by a lone assailant, leaving residents in a state of shock and calling for an end to violence.
One eyewitness told reporters: “Man that thing happen so quick, in a flash. You talk with somebody five minutes, the next thing, they are dead and that is why I felt so bad, I couldn’t even eat breakfast this morning.”
“It is a very hurtful situation, I don’t care what he did, what it was, I just wish the police apprehend the body that did this gruesome crime this morning,” one woman declared.
According to police, the Oistins Police Station received a report of a serious accident in the area about 7:30. Five minutes later, they received another report that gunshots were heard in the area and a man appeared to be injured.
Upon arriving on the scene, they discovered Taitt’s motionless body lying beside the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Taitt’s father quickly arrived and identified the body of his son but declined to speak to reporters.
A resident said: “We were just tending to the little cut on his head from the accident, by the time we went back inside to get more tissue to clean him off, somebody just came from the gap and start shooting, so we didn’t really see who it is, but when we popped back out here, the guy was leaned upside the car.”
The residents said Taitt was exiting a gap when he was involved in a collision with another vehicle, driven by a woman. His vehicle crashed into a pole, but they said he escaped with minor injuries.
“And no sooner than that somebody just pop up from through there [a gap] and sudden so, and all we hear is gunshots,” said one witness.
One woman said: “That thing hurt me, because we were concerned about him, speaking to him, asking him if he is ok, that was my concern.
“It is sad because he is a young guy, one man said. Even when I talk to him, he didn’t seem like a bad guy.”
The residents lamented gun violence in the country and in the community and expressed hope that the culprit would soon be bought to justice.
“It is just a sad thing it happen there this morning because you know that Kendall Hill/Silver Hill has a stigma already so it is a bad thing,” a resident said.
“We have so much to deal with in this country already, the COVID and all other stuff and then people trying to kill one another. It is hurtful.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Police Emergency at 211, the Oistins Police Station at 418-2612, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS (8477) or any police station.
sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb
