In the wake of a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a young man in Fryers Well, St. Lucy parliamentarian Peter Phillips has made a fervent appeal for community restraint while simultaneously renewing his political campaign for the reinstatement of capital punishment in Barbados.
The tragic incident occurred on Sunday evening during a karaoke social gathering in the Checker Hall area, resulting in the death of 28-year-old Romario Archer. Phillips, who represents the constituency, visited the grieving family on Monday to offer condolences and address the escalating tensions within the community.
Emphasizing the personal nature of the loss, Phillips revealed his long-standing acquaintance with Archer and his family. “He was a good, decent guy… very cheerful, very independent, always looking for work,” the MP stated, adding that Archer had frequently assisted with community events and could be relied upon even at short notice.
The parliamentarian explicitly cautioned against vigilante justice, urging residents: “Let there be no retaliation… put down the guns. We must not take matters into our own hands. The law will do what it has to do.” He characterized the shooting as particularly disruptive to the normally peaceful parish of St. Lucy, noting the community has been profoundly shaken by this outbreak of violence.
Parallel to his calls for calm, Phillips articulated his firm stance on implementing stricter judicial measures. “I support capital punishment… we have to begin to take stronger action against this kind of behaviour,” he asserted, framing the death penalty as a necessary deterrent to Barbados’s growing violence problem.
Phillips concluded with a broader vision for his constituency and nation: “This is not the kind of thing we are accustomed to in St. Lucy. We want peace in this community, and across Barbados.”