The gunning down of two men in Vigilance South on Wednesday night has brought villagers face to face with the security fears they say have been growing and up to yesterday the police had not established a motive for the attack.
The younger of the two men who were killed by gunmen dressed in black had confronted one of his assailants, punching him in the face before he sustained the fatal gunshot, according to a relative.
The two men killed are 22-year-old Cordel August, a wash bay attendant of Lot 8815 Vigilance South, and 35-year-old Eon Headley, a self-employed resident of the same community.
The relative told Kiskadee Watch that eyewitnesses recounted that her brother suffered two gunshot wounds but still confronted one of the gunmen, punching him in the face before he was struck by the third and fatal shot.
Police in Regional Division 4C said they are investigating the shooting which occurred at about 10 pm.
According to a police statement, preliminary investigations indicate that August and Headley were among a group of persons at a shop when two men, dressed in black and travelling on a motorcycle, approached and discharged several rounds in their direction before fleeing.
Both men sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were rushed by public-spirited citizens to the Enmore Regional Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies have since been taken to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home pending post-mortem examinations.
No arrest has been made and investigations are continuing.
Yesterday morning, Kiskadee Watch visited the community where relatives and friends had gathered at the homes of the two men.
Actmeholda August, the sister of Cordel August, said she was upstairs preparing to change clothes shortly before 10 pm when she heard what initially sounded like four gunshots.
“I heard four shots at first, then it started going rapidly,” she recalled.
She said she immediately ran outside and saw another brother rushing towards the scene. When they reached Cordel, he had already been shot multiple times.
According to Actmeholda, as relatives lifted him into a vehicle to take him to hospital, he managed to utter “Ouch,” suggesting he was still conscious.
She said doctors later pronounced him dead at the Enmore Regional Hospital.
Based on what she observed, Actmeholda said her brother had sustained gunshot wounds to his shoulder, left hand and left side, with the latter piercing his heart.
She said the shooting occurred only minutes after Cordel had returned from a nearby Chinese supermarket.
“He went to the Chiney for mommy and after that he passed by here because his wash bay is right in front of the yard. Then he walked to the shop and in about five to 10 minutes the shooting happened,” she said.
Actmeholda is of the opinion that Cordel was not the intended target; he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. She said based on eyewitness accounts, Cordel was shot twice and he rushed to the suspect and held onto the firearm and punched him in the face after which the suspect reached for another weapon from his pants waist and fatally shot him in the chest.
The woman said the latest tragedy has compounded the grief her family has experienced in recent years.
“Within three years I lost my husband, my daughter, my sister and now my brother. It’s hard to cope with so much loss,” she said.
Multiple
Meanwhile, Shamame Peters, the sister of Headley, said relatives delayed informing her of her brother’s death because she is heavily pregnant.
She said she was told that Headley sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including injuries to both hands.
According to Peters, her brother had been liming with friends and was preparing to return home when the shooting occurred.
“It’s just funny how he could be here today and before the night is even out, he is gone,” she said through tears.
She highlighted the broader issue of violence in the area, stating that nobody really knows what will happen or who might be targeted next.
Peters mentioned a pattern of criminal activities in the community, pointing out that many residents choose to stay silent out of fear of retaliation. Despite the presence of footage that could potentially shed light on such incidents, many are hesitant to come forward, and the cycle of violence continues with little accountability.
“No, we’ve got no CCTV footages. I don’t know what’s going to be the outcome, if we’ll be able to get anything anyway. But I doubt it because things like this, nobody ever knows. Nobody wants to be the victim. Nobody wants to die. This is a rough world though,” the grieving woman said.
She added that fear of reprisals often discourages residents from speaking openly about violent crimes in the area.
Police have not disclosed a motive for the killings and investigations are ongoing.
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