Silver Hill folk lose faith after latest gun violence

A man was seriously wounded in a shooting on Thursday evening in Silver Hill, Christ Church, rekindling widespread fear and frustration among residents who say unchecked violence has become part of daily life. Many in the community expressed doubt that public safety will improve as crime continues to escalate.

According to reports, a man was sitting on the front step of a residence when two individuals emerged from a motorcar and opened fire, striking him several times. He was taken for urgent medical attention in a private vehicle.

Silver Hill residents said they have become fearful due to the high level of gang activity and the frequent sounds of gunshots, sometimes numbering up to ten in a single incident.

One man said violence has become a normal part of life. “It’s become the usual,” he said. “Once nothing bothering me or my family, then I fine.”

A shop owner said people in the neighbourhood have grown emotionally numb after years of persistent violence: “A man was shot outside my shop.”

A woman who was caring for her mother when the incident occurred said: “I was in my house and I hear about ten gunshots – like pax, pax, pax. I scared for Barbados.”

When Barbados TODAY visited the area on Friday morning, a group of five middle-aged men, liming near a shop, shook their heads as they discussed the surge in gang-related activity.

“Every action has a reaction,” one of the men said.

A man standing nearby added: “When some of these fellas come out of prison, they already got a gun to shoot somebody. It’s like everybody got gun. The area is so desensitised, it don’t even shock people no more.”

In March, a 12-year-old boy, a bystander while a group of men were playing basketball, was killed when two men reportedly walked up and opened fire.

Barbados has so far recorded 39 murders this year. But the Silver Hill men questioned the official crime numbers, saying they believe the real number of shooting deaths is higher than reported. “They saying the count in the 30s, but we know it might really be in the 50s,” one of them added.

(LE)