Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/3198/-1/140/
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Gun Crime: ONE SHOT DEAD, OTHERS WOUNDED Detectives Brought To Anguilla
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There have been two separate shooting incidents in Anguilla over the past days. In the first, one young man, Dwayne Connor, 23, of Rey Hill, was shot in the North Valley area on Saturday, January 7 at about 9.00 a.m. He died some 35 minutes later at the Princess Alexandra Hospital from a bullet wound in the chest. The cause of death was attributed to that wound, by Dr. Gaskins, a pathologist from Barbados.
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The late Dwayne Connor
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Sheldon Brooks of North Valley, who was with him at the time, also sustained a gunshot wound to his right foot and was treated at the hospital.
The police said no motive was yet established for the shooting.
Dwayne was the son of John Connor (Sonny Boy) and Laurel Arrindell of Rey Hill. He was described as a quiet person, easy-going and helpful. He was the father of twin daughters who made three years old on December 4, 2005.
Following this incident, the Governor’s Office issued a press release on Monday, January 9, announcing that arrangements were made for two police officers from Bermuda to travel to Anguilla to assist with the investigations.
The lawmen arrived on the island on Tuesday, January 10, and were sworn in as Special Constables to support the local investigation team, headed by Superintendent Rudolph Proctor. They are Detective Inspector Cal Smith (Head of Special Branch in Bermuda) and Sergeant Glassford. The officers will be in Anguilla for two weeks in the first instance.
A second shooting incident occurred on Tuesday, January 10 at Bow Green Villa, in Rendezvous, when officers from the Royal Anguilla Police Force responded to a burglary at about 12.20 a.m.
The villa was occupied by two US citizens when two armed masked intruders entered their bedroom. The occupants sustained gunshot wounds and were admitted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital where they were in a stable condition. The police have not released their names. The couple were flown to Miami on Tuesday night for further treatment. This armed attack on the visitors is considered to be a rare incident on the island.
The police are investigating both incidents and are requesting the support of members of the public with useful information.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, January 10, the Governor’s Office said the two elderly visitors to Anguilla suffered the gunshot wounds when they disturbed the intruders in what appeared to have be an abortive burglary.
The release said the couples’ daughter had been informed about the incident and every care was being taken to speed their recovery and return home. The Governor, his wife and Government Ministers visited the couple on Tuesday morning to express their regret and to wish them well.
The Governor’s Office release described the incident as serious, coming immediately after the other incident in which Dwayne Connor of Anguilla was shot and killed and Sheldon Brooks wounded. It said that while the two police officers from Bermuda were assisting the local police with their investigations, consideration was being given to what more needed to be done in the second incident involving the visitors.
The release continued as follows: “Government Ministers met with the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney General and HE the Governor this [Tuesday] morning. The Governor reported that Larry Covington, the FCO’s law enforcement adviser based in Miami, will travel to Anguilla tomorrow (Wednesday) for urgent consultations. Detective Inspector Bernard Watson will also return early from official business in the UK on Thursday.
“Urgent attention is being given to whether further UK police support can be made available to bolster the local task force that the RAPF [Royal Anguilla Police Force] has set up to tackle gun crime in a more proactive and aggressive manner. Earlier, Executive Council had agreed on 5 January that the RAPF should bring their numbers of from 84 currently to 100 personnel in the course of the year and that a supplementary budget for this should be put to the House of Assembly to enable this to be achieved.
“It is important not to get this out of perspective. Violent crime in Anguilla is still relatively low and the use of firearms, albeit increasing, even lower. It is in fact extremely rare for visitors to be threatened with guns – only twice in 2005 and not at all in 2004. Nevertheless it would be wise for everyone to take the normal day to day safety precautions that the modern world imposes on us. Equally, it s right that Anguillians should expect more action be taken against gun crime – and this will be done.
“The Government of Anguilla has promised its full commitment to this effort. But we need the full support of the community. We cannot be successful unless members of the public are willing to give information to the police and, if necessary, make formal statements that can b used in a prosecution. The whole community in Anguilla must take a concerted and courageous stand to make it clear that violence will not be tolerated. Without such support, the spiral of crime can only get worse.”