UWI Cave Hill mourns slain law student

The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill is in mourning following the fatal shooting of Daquan Roberts, a 26-year-old final year law student, said to be on course to graduating with honours, who was described by lecturers and peers as bright, disciplined and compassionate.

Roberts was gunned down on Tuesday night in a drive-by attack along Spruce Street, The City, sending shock waves through the campus community just as students prepare for final examinations.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the university said the campus community was “deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic and senseless death” and confirmed that a vigil and anti-gun violence walk are being planned.

Roberts joined the law faculty in the 2023/2024 academic year and had already distinguished himself as a committed and high-performing student. That promise, the university said, made the loss even harder to absorb for those who taught and studied alongside him.

Cave Hill principal Professor Clive Landis said the grief had spread across students and staff, with the timing of the killing compounding the emotional strain.

“At this difficult time, our thoughts are with the family of Daquan Roberts, his friends, classmates, and all who knew him, and who are understandably affected by this loss,” Prof Landis said.“As the students prepare for examinations, we will be utilising all provisions in the exam regulations that allow flexibility for those who feel they are unable to sit their exam at this time.”

That offer of regulatory flexibility comes as the campus tries to steady itself through a period of mourning unfolding in the middle of the examination season.

The mood has been especially heavy within the Faculty of Law.

Interim Dean Dr Antonius Hippolyte said: “The mood in the faculty is quite sombre as Daquan was well liked among his peers and by all indications had left quite the impression on his lecturers.”He added: “Daquan, who was a bright and promising student, will be greatly missed. I wish to extend condolences to his friends and family as they navigate this difficult period.”

Lecturer Carla Ali painted a fuller picture of the student many on campus had come to know beyond the classroom.

“Humble in spirit and generous in nature, Daquan was always ready to lend a helping hand to those around him. He became an integral part of the Faculty’s community and a familiar presence within the Law Library,” she said.

Ali noted that his “academic achievements, reflected by commendable grades over a continuous period, spoke to his discipline and intellectual strength”, but said he would also be remembered for “his warm smile, kind heart, and engaging personality”.

She added that his life, though “far too brief”, leaves behind “a legacy of diligence, humility, and compassion that will not be forgotten”.

President of the UWI Cave Hill Guild of Students, Ajay Gordon, said he had known Roberts throughout their three years of study and that they had planned to pursue further legal studies together at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago in the next academic year.Gordon said he had seen Roberts on campus just hours before his death and described this as the second time in recent years that he had lost a classmate.“I remember fondly how easily he broke down difficult concepts of law to me and how passionate he was in lectures and tutorials. He always sat at the front and was intrigued by jurisprudence,” Gordon said.“I always remember that he would never pass by without giving me a fist bump. He was a very spiritual person.”

He also spoke on Roberts’s involvement beyond academics, saying he dedicated time to the UWISTAT Vice Chancellor’s Ambassador Corps as an ambassador and served on the executive, showing commitment to “regional integration, volunteerism and climate change”.

Counselling support has been made available to students and staff as the campus community continues to process the loss, the university said.

The vigil and walk against gun violence are scheduled for April 25 at the Peace Pole on campus, planted in 2022 through an initiative of the Rotary Club of Barbados South. The pole bears the message: “May Peace Prevail on Earth”. No arrests have so far been made in connection with the slaying as detectives continued their enquiries.

(SM)