Atlantic Shores resident killed in attempted robbery at home

A 40-year-old man was killed in an apparent robbery attempt at his home on Wednesday afternoon, marking the country’s second unnatural death for 2023.

The victim, whose identity has not yet been disclosed by police, was fatally shot when armed gunmen shattered a routine, quiet afternoon in the residential community of Coral Drive, Atlantic Shores, Christ Church.

According to Communications and Public Affairs Officer of the Barbados Police Service Inspector Rodney Inniss, police received the call about the shooting around 1:30 p.m. and lawmen from the Oistins Police Station arrived at the scene within 10 minutes.

“What was reported was an attempted robbery where two assailants, one armed with a firearm at the time, came and descended on the property [and] assaulted two persons who were there. There was an altercation where one person was shot and they made their escape at the southern end of the property on foot,” he said.

Inniss said the victim was pronounced dead by medical personnel. The other person who was in the house was unhurt.

Distraught family members gathered at the scene consoling each other, as one resident commented that “it’s very sad this thing [crime] is happening in Barbados.”

The neighbour, who has lived in Atlantic Shores for 12 years, said he had never experienced such an incident in the area.

“I was just sitting in the verandah with my family having a quiet tea and we heard something that sounded like a gunshot but we weren’t sure. Then I saw something like heads running past my house and . . . then I went out to look and I saw nothing. And then, after a little while, the police came around so I knew something was going on but I didn’t know what had happened,” he recalled.

“This is a very nice quiet neighbourhood, so this is a very sad thing.”

Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed or has any information about the incident to contact the Oistins Police Station at 418-2612. (SD)