Hundreds of grieving family members, close friends, and fellow road construction crew members gathered at Glorious Hope Ministries along All Saints Road in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday to lay 39-year-old Omari S.H. Philip to rest, one month after he sustained fatal gunshot wounds while on the job. The incident unfolded on the evening of July 14, as Philip was taking a break seated inside a heavy-duty work vehicle assigned to his road maintenance team, which was carrying out scheduled repairs on the busy All Saints Road thoroughfare. Antigua and Barbuda Royal Police reports confirm that just after 9 p.m. that night, two masked, armed suspects clad in all dark clothing exited a white Toyota Axio that had pulled up near the work site, discharging multiple rounds directly at Philip before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle. Though critically wounded, Philip survived the immediate attack and was rushed urgently to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, where medical teams provided round-the-clock critical care for 30 consecutive days. He ultimately succumbed to his severe internal injuries at approximately 3:40 a.m. on August 14, prompting local law enforcement to reclassify the previously filed attempted wounding case as a full active murder investigation. In a public appeal issued this week, police officials announced a confidential cash reward for any member of the public who can provide verifiable, actionable information that leads to the identification, arrest, and successful prosecution of the two perpetrators. Authorities urge anyone with relevant details about the shooting, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to reach out directly to the Criminal Investigations Department via phone lines 462-3913 or 462-3914, or to submit anonymous tips through the national Crimestoppers hotline at 800-TIPS (8477), to help bring closure to Philip’s grieving loved ones and the tight-knit local road worker community.
Family bids farewell to Omari Philip, who died a month after shooting
