Carib Scope

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  • Sazeek Joseph Jailed Four Years for Attempted Rape of 18-Year-Old Woman

    Sazeek Joseph Jailed Four Years for Attempted Rape of 18-Year-Old Woman

    A local man has been handed a four-year custodial sentence following a guilty verdict on charges of attempted rape and serious indecency against an 18-year-old woman. Sazeek Joseph was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict back in March, with the court ordering his separate sentences to be served concurrently: four years behind bars for the attempted rape count and an additional one-year term for the second charge of serious indecency.

    The legal case traces back to a traumatic incident that unfolded in June 2022, according to testimony and evidence presented during the trial. Prosecutors laid out the sequence of events, explaining that Joseph had driven the young victim to an isolated, out-of-the-way location before launching his attempted sexual assault. The teen fought back against Joseph’s attack, and after the incident, she recorded a portion of a subsequent conversation between the two, in which he explicitly acknowledged that he had damaged her clothing during the encounter.

    Prosecutors further told the court that Joseph carried out a second assault on the victim before she was finally able to escape from his presence. The victim did not delay in reporting the crime, contacting local law enforcement and filing an official report the very same day she managed to get away.

    During the trial, jurors were presented with a robust body of evidence to consider, including text message exchanges, the audio recording made by the victim, and tangible physical evidence tied to the crime. Throughout the legal proceedings, Joseph provided multiple conflicting, inconsistent accounts of the June 2022 encounter, explanations that the jury ultimately rejected when delivering their guilty conviction. Following the guilty verdict in March, Joseph was taken into custody and held in remand, with his final sentencing hearing held this Tuesday to formally issue the prison term.

  • CoP calls on lawyer to produce evidence

    CoP calls on lawyer to produce evidence

    A sharp public dispute has erupted between the top law enforcement official in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a prominent local attorney over explosive allegations that sitting police officers are redirecting surrendered illegal firearms back into criminal circulation on public streets.

    Enville Williams, Commissioner of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), has issued a direct public challenge to attorney Grant Connell: produce concrete proof to back the extraordinary claim, or withdraw the damaging accusations that he argues undermine public safety and erode trust in the national police service.

    Connell first made the controversial remarks during April 20 court proceedings at the Serious Offences Court, while handling the trial of 25-year-old Deondre France, a resident of Stubbs who had been taken into custody and charged with illegal possession of a .380 caliber pistol. France was ultimately found guilty of the weapons offense and sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment. During the course of the trial, Connell warned individuals considering turning over unlicensed firearms to police to exercise extreme caution over which officer they hand their weapon to, claiming some officers could potentially put the guns back into circulation on the streets.

    In an official video response published after the comments came to light, Commissioner Williams forcefully rejected Connell’s allegations, saying the RSVGPF viewed the lawyer’s claims with deep alarm. “I want to state emphatically that there is no truth, absolutely no truth in this crazy suggestion by counsel,” Williams stated in his address.

    The police chief pushed back on every element of the claim, noting that every unlicensed firearm held in police custody is tracked and fully accounted for, and that no weapons held by the force have ever been diverted back to criminals on the street. He reiterated that if Connell possesses any documentation, testimony or other evidence to verify his allegation, the attorney has a responsibility to bring it forward immediately. Once evidence is submitted, Williams added, full investigations will be launched immediately, and any officer found to have broken the law will face full accountability.

    Williams went on to condemn Connell’s remarks as “wanton and lawless,” arguing that the unsubstantiated claims are designed to stoke unnecessary fear among the general public and tarnish the reputation of all officers serving in the RSVGPF. He stressed that the police force operates with full transparency when it comes to allegations of misconduct: any credible claim of wrongdoing by an officer will be examined through a full, open and impartial investigation, with no effort to protect personnel who break rules.

    The commissioner further warned Connell that he must stop overstepping legal boundaries with his public remarks, noting that the attorney could ultimately be held legally responsible for the unsubstantiated damage his comments have caused.

    Williams also explained the far-reaching public safety risks created by Connell’s comments, pointing out that illegal firearms are not minor public hazards — they are tools of violence that are used to threaten, injure and kill innocent people. Every unlicensed weapon removed from illegal possession lowers the overall risk of violence for law-abiding citizens, and Connell’s claims are intentionally designed to dissuade people from surrendering illegal weapons through legal channels.

    “This is not responsible guidance; this is a dangerous message. It benefits only criminals and weakens public safety and increases the risk for further violence,” Williams added. In closing, the commissioner reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to reducing gun violence, and renewed a call for any person holding an illegal firearm or with information about hidden unlicensed weapons to contact local law enforcement without delay.

  • Calls for bridge fix after father dies in Exuma crash

    Calls for bridge fix after father dies in Exuma crash

    A tragic fatal crash off a poorly maintained Bahamian bridge has reignited long-simmering calls for critical infrastructure upgrades, after a retired prison officer who was days away from reuniting with his family lost his life in an incident his loved ones say was entirely preventable.

    Preston McKenzie, a 60-something retired corrections official who had recently moved back to Exuma to be closer to extended family, was scheduled to board a flight to New Providence on April 30 to reunite with his wife and three children. He never arrived for the trip, and his body was later recovered from his partially submerged overturned blue Honda Civic near the Barraterre bridge, according to law enforcement and family statements.

    Authorities confirmed that the George Town Police Station received the initial distress call shortly before noon on April 30, after a local resident spotted the vehicle in the water off the bridge’s northern end. The good Samaritan used a hand tool to gain access to the car and helped pull McKenzie’s body from the wreckage before officers arrived. A local physician pronounced McKenzie dead at the scene, and preliminary police investigations indicate the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the curved bridge into the water below.

    For McKenzie’s daughter, Pruzyia McKenzie, the tragedy is not an accident — it is the avoidable consequence of years of unaddressed safety hazards on the Barraterre bridge. In an emotional interview, she explained that the family grew concerned after her father stopped responding to messages and missed his scheduled flight. The family soon received the devastating confirmation from a relative in Exuma that his body had been found in the water.

    Evidence from the scene backs up the family’s claims of long-standing danger. Video footage obtained by The Tribune shows McKenzie’s vehicle submerged after crossing over the bridge’s inadequate guardrail, with barely any visible signage warning drivers of the sharp curve ahead or the bridge edge. Pruzyia McKenzie noted that her father was not the first driver to go off the bridge — two previous motorists survived similar incidents, but she says repeated warnings about the structure’s flaws have gone unheeded.

    McKenzie was described by his daughter as a loving, humble man with a contagious joyful energy, who often served as the center of social gatherings. After a decades-long career in corrections where he recruited dozens of new officers — many of whom are now grieving his loss — he had been preparing to launch a new small business ahead of the upcoming annual Barraterre festival. The last video his family received from him, taken the night he is believed to have crashed, shows him sharing a toast with friends and repeatedly saying he was bound for heaven.

    Pruzyia McKenzie says the stiffness of her father’s body when it was recovered suggests he had been in the water for more than 12 hours, meaning emergency responders were not alerted to the crash until long after he was gone. She added that the bridge’s core hazards — non-existent nighttime lighting, a sharp curve that restricts driver visibility, insufficient guardrails, and a total lack of proper warning signage — make it a death trap waiting for more victims. Her family’s greatest hope now is that McKenzie’s death will finally force authorities to carry out the long-overdue upgrades, so no other family has to plan a funeral instead of welcoming a loved one home.

    “My daddy was supposed to be here,” Pruzyia McKenzie said through tears. “We were expecting to see my daddy not plan a funeral. We don’t want another life lost to this dangerous bridge.”

  • How mentorship shaped Jamaican-Canadian scholar’s journey

    How mentorship shaped Jamaican-Canadian scholar’s journey

    Against the backdrop of a year defined by both professional triumph and personal grief, 31-year-old Kayonne Christy has emerged as one of the most promising rising sociologists in North America, recently inducted into Yale University’s elite Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. Her path from a first-generation university student uncertain of her calling to an acclaimed doctoral researcher exploring diaspora, culture and identity has been shaped far more by collective support than individual achievement, she says.

    Christy, currently a sociology PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, did not start her academic career aiming for the social sciences. As the first member of her family to pursue higher education, she enrolled in McMaster University’s life sciences program with plans to attend medical school. For a time, she dismissed her lingering dissatisfaction as a normal part of university life, telling herself that post-secondary study was not meant to be an enjoyable experience. But a persistent pull toward questions of systemic inequality and social justice, nurtured through campus organizing and community engagement, eventually led her to rethink her trajectory.

    That turning point came when she gained a spot on a qualitative research project examining the social determinants of health. There, she discovered she could merge her foundational scientific training with her deep curiosity about how social structures shape individual lived experiences, sparking a lasting passion for sociology. Like every step of her journey, this professional shift was not navigated alone: Christy cites a network of supportive mentors as the backbone of every milestone she has reached.

    Among the most influential of these guides was Juliet Daniel, a Barbadian-born cancer biologist at McMaster University and the first Caribbean woman with a PhD Christy ever met. Daniel passed away on the same day Christy sat for an interview about her career, adding a layer of poignancy to her reflections on her path. “Seeing someone who looked like me, who shared a similar background, made me believe that [a PhD] was possible. That mattered more than I can explain,” Christy said of Daniel. She also credits additional mentors including Dr. Lawrence Grierson, Dr. Meredith Vanstone, and Dr. Gerry Veenstra for opening doors and encouraging her through moments of uncertainty. “If it weren’t for them, I don’t know if I would be doing a PhD right now,” she added.

    A suggestion from one mentor led Christy to a graduate program at the University of British Columbia, where she worked alongside Veenstra, one of Canada’s leading scholars on racial health disparities. There, she grew to appreciate sociology’s flexibility: the discipline allowed her to pursue overlapping interests in race, power, health and inequality while staying rooted in the social justice questions that first drew her away from medicine. That focus eventually led her to the University of Michigan, home to one of the world’s top-ranked sociology departments.

    For Christy, her research is not just an academic pursuit—it is deeply personal. Though born in Canada, her connection to her Jamaican roots deepened in her early 20s, when a family reunion trip made her realize the island felt like home. Today, she is based in Kingston for her fieldwork, studying how Jamaican diaspora members contribute to the city’s growing cultural and creative economy, and how that engagement shapes urban development.

    “Culture is such a central part of the Jamaican diasporic experience,” she explained. “As Kingston moves toward culture-led development, there are new opportunities for the diaspora to engage and contribute. But there are also challenges, and I want to understand both.”

    Christy adheres to the philosophy of “lifting as you climb,” a value shaped by her own experience of receiving support from a community of mentors, family and educators. “Anything I’ve done is a product of people who poured into me,” she said. “Mentors, family, and community made this possible.” With her PhD on track for completion in 2027, Christy remains focused not just on finishing her dissertation, but on carrying forward the legacy of support that made her success possible.

  • Super Value owner back home after health scare

    Super Value owner back home after health scare

    Nine weeks after being medically evacuated to a United States hospital for emergency treatment of severe pneumonia, one of The Bahamas’ most legendary business figures has returned to his home in New Providence, carrying a critical public health message for his fellow citizens.

    Rupert Roberts, 88, who founded the nation’s largest all-Bahamian grocery chain Super Value and shaped decades of commercial and banking growth across the country, expressed unbridled joy at returning to his home country’s iconic warm climate. “It’s such a blessing to be back in the sunshine,” he shared in an interview shortly after his arrival. In his message to Bahamians, he urged widespread prioritization of personal wellness, emphasizing: “Look after yourselves with a healthy diet and regular exercise. You could develop an illness that The Bahamas is not fully equipped to treat, and a serious medical condition can quickly spiral into costs far beyond what most families can afford.”

    When asked if his near-death health scare had prompted doctors to urge him to step back from his decades-long career, the self-identified workaholic laughed off the suggestion. “No, not at all!” he said. “They told me to keep going, never stop.”

    Roberts fell seriously ill with pneumonia in late February, triggering an outpouring of support from across the nation that he says was a critical part of his recovery. Hundreds of Tribune readers sent prayers and well-wishes, and dozens of Super Value employees answered an urgent call to donate blood to support his treatment when he first became sick.

    “I want to thank every single person — my family, my relatives, every employee, every customer, and the entire country for all their support and prayers,” Roberts said. “That support was more healing to me than any medical treatment, and it’s what brought me home. I had no idea how many people cared about me this way, and I can’t put my appreciation into words.”

    Throughout his nine-week treatment and recovery at St Mary’s, part of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Roberts had constant, around-the-clock support from his wife Margaret and his granddaughter Paige Waugh, who works on the Super Value team. “I never would have made it through this without their love, care, and constant presence by my side,” he noted. He also expressed particular gratitude for a well-wish call from Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, and for the early and consistent care from his personal Bahamian physician Dr Duane Sands, who is also former health minister and current chairman of the Free National Movement.

    Dr Sands visited Roberts two to four times a day in the early stages of his illness, coordinated his transfer to the Mayo Clinic, and set him up for a successful recovery. “I never felt any fear for my life at any point,” Roberts said. “I always knew I was in good hands, from the very start with Dr Sands. I’ve been treated at St Mary’s before several times, so it felt like home even in Minnesota. Doctors from multiple departments came to check on me, and I was even shocked when Bahamian Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell stopped by with a large bouquet of flowers. Having a fellow Bahamian visit made everything feel so much more comfortable.”

    Roberts confirmed that while he was in the US, medical teams also fixed a long-standing issue with his pacemaker, after one of the device’s leads slipped out of place and required reattachment. Beyond that minor procedure, he said he is now well on his way to a full recovery.

    Despite being away from his business interests for more than two months, Roberts said he never felt disconnected from daily operations. Thanks to a deeply trained management team and consistent communication with staff, “It was just as if I was sitting at my desk every day,” he explained.

    When asked what he missed most during his time in the cold northern US, he answered without hesitation: “The warm Bahamian weather. It’s so great to be back where all my favorite things are, in what I truly believe is the best place in the world to enjoy life. I’m so happy to be back to our 80-degree sunshine — that cold up north was absolutely horrid.”

    Beyond his iconic work building Super Value into the backbone of the Bahamian grocery industry, Roberts has long been a central figure in national banking development. Following the Bahamianisation of the nation’s finance sector, he was appointed chairman of Commonwealth Bank Limited, serving in the role from 1984 to 1992. During his tenure, he led the bank out of years of stagnation under foreign ownership, overseeing explosive growth: the bank relocated its headquarters to a new facility on East Bay Street, opened new branches in Oakes Field and Marsh Harbour, grew total assets by more than 700% to over $125 million, and increased net income from $1.3 million in 1984 to $4 million by 1992.

  • Policewoman injured as service vehicle overturned

    Policewoman injured as service vehicle overturned

    A sudden tire blowout on a Jamaica police service vehicle has left two law enforcement officers receiving medical care and triggered hours of traffic chaos on one of the island nation’s busy commuter corridors. The incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon along the Long Hill main road in St. James, involving officers assigned to the nearby Hanover Police division, local law enforcement sources confirmed. According to initial investigative reports, the two officers – one woman and one man – were en route along the roadway when the front tire of their marked service vehicle suffered an unexpected blowout. The sudden loss of air pressure left the driver unable to maintain control of the vehicle. The out-of-control SUV veered off the paved surface, climbed a steep roadside embankment, and flipped completely over before coming to a stop. Emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene within minutes of the crash being reported via 911 calls from passing motorists. The female officer sustained a deep laceration to her forehead during the rollover, though her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. She was quickly stabilized at the scene by paramedics before being transported to a nearby regional hospital for urgent treatment and observation. Her male colleague was also taken to the same medical facility for a full preventative medical examination, to rule out any hidden internal injuries from the impact. Following the clearing of the injured parties, a heavy-duty wrecker was called to remove the overturned police vehicle from the accident site. However, the process of extracting the wreck and clearing the roadway took more than an hour, resulting in a massive traffic pileup that stretched for several kilometers along the already heavily traveled commuter route. Commuters traveling between St. James and Hanover faced extensive delays, with many forced to find alternate rural routes to reach their destinations, leading to further travel disruptions across the region Wednesday evening. Local traffic authorities have reminded motorists to regularly check the condition of their vehicle tires, particularly during periods of fluctuating temperature that can increase the risk of sudden blowouts on high-traffic roadways.

  • Nominations now open for WATA Hydrate to Educate initiative

    Nominations now open for WATA Hydrate to Educate initiative

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A major new investment in Jamaican secondary education is now open for applications, as bottled water brand WATA launches its 2026 Hydrate to Educate initiative with a total commitment of more than JA$12 million to support students and school infrastructure across the island.

    Now in another annual cycle, the community-focused program splits its funding across two core impact areas: direct individual support for students and institutional development grants for schools. Thirty qualifying secondary students will each receive JA$200,000 in unrestricted educational assistance, which can be put toward tuition costs, required course materials, daily transportation fares, and other unmet academic needs that often create barriers to consistent schooling for low-income youth.

    On the institutional side, 14 Jamaican secondary schools will receive targeted grants to advance campus improvement projects. Five secondary schools located in western parishes, an area still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, will each receive JA$1 million to support recovery and development work. An additional nine schools spread across all other regions of the island will receive JA$200,000 each for their own campus upgrade projects.

    Brittany Thwaites, brand manager for the WATA portfolio at Wisynco Group, the parent company behind the initiative, explained that Hydrate to Educate is built on a core philosophy that sustainable educational progress requires investment at both the individual and institutional level. “This program has always been rooted in the belief that every young Jamaican deserves equal access to the resources they need to pursue their education, no matter their financial background,” Thwaites shared in a statement announcing the 2026 nomination cycle. “Year after year, we see firsthand how transformative this support is for students, their families, and entire school communities. We’re proud to keep expanding the program to reach more vulnerable communities across Jamaica.”

    Thwaites emphasized that the 2026 program has been structured to address the ongoing recovery needs of western Jamaica, where Hurricane Melissa caused widespread damage to public infrastructure, including school facilities. “This year, we made a deliberate choice to prioritize additional support for schools in western parishes that are still working to bounce back from Hurricane Melissa,” she said. “Education is one of the most critical foundations for long-term community recovery and progress. Through this initiative, WATA is working to help rebuild safe, supportive learning spaces where students can continue to learn, grow, and build brighter futures, even after disaster.”

    Nominations for individual student grants are open to eligible secondary students from every parish across Jamaica. Any third party who can speak to a student’s financial need — including parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, and community leaders — may submit a nomination. Submissions must include details about the student’s personal background, current financial circumstances, and a description of how the grant would remove barriers to their ongoing education.

    For institutional grant applicants, funding is reserved for projects that directly improve the overall campus learning environment, including critical infrastructure repairs, expansion of learning resource centers, accessibility upgrades, and other campus-wide needs that align with the program’s mission.

    As previously noted, a dedicated portion of the 2026 funding is earmarked specifically for hurricane-impacted western schools, to accelerate their recovery work and help them rebuild stronger, more resilient campuses for their student bodies.

    Nominations for both student and institutional grants will close at the end of the day on June 30, 2026. Interested parties can submit nominations or access full program details by visiting the official program website at educate.wisynco.com.

  • Police battle hub

    Police battle hub

    MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Facing an alarming three-fold jump in murder rates compared to last year, law enforcement in Jamaica’s Manchester Parish officially unveiled a fully renovated police conference room this Tuesday, rebranding it as the central command hub for an aggressive new crackdown on rising criminal activity across the region.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony attended by local business leaders and senior law enforcement officials, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Phillips, head of Police Area Three, delivered a firm warning to offenders: Manchester will not be allowed to become a safe haven for criminal activity. He framed the updated facility at Mandeville Police Station as more than just office space — it is a purpose-built “war room” for a coordinated campaign against individuals and groups that have destabilized the parish with violent crime.

    “Some criminals have started to see Manchester as a safe space to operate, and that ends now,” Phillips emphasized. “We will push back, we will fight hard, and we will reclaim our communities. This space will serve multiple critical roles: it will be a briefing center before major operations, a training ground for new young constables, and a collaborative meeting space where police can partner with local stakeholders — from faith leaders to business associations — to address the root of Manchester’s violence together.”

    The J$7 million renovation project was completed entirely through a groundbreaking public-private partnership, with 13 local organizations stepping forward to fund and carry out the work. Contributing partners included C&D Construction, Power Services Company Ltd, Matthews and Clarke Roofing, Samfo Meats, Hylton and Sons, Superlatives Auto, Vicbern Roofing, the Youth Ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Denron, Pavecon Ltd, Rymac Rentals, J Crawford and Sons Limited, and Grant’s Welding.

    Beyond structural renovations, which covered full retiling, new partitions, doors, air conditioning systems, updated electrical wiring, replacement windows, fresh painting, plumbing repairs, and new built-in cupboards, the business community also donated critical operational equipment. Donations include 50 matching chairs and tables, a new laptop, a large smart television with a portable stand, a glass podium, a microwave, a water dispenser, and a fully stocked coffee station for officers. Following the renovation work, participating business leaders also organized a large-scale clean-up of the entire police station compound to clear leftover construction debris and refresh the grounds.

    Official police statistics paint a stark picture of the crisis the new command center is designed to address: between January 1 and May 2, 2026, the parish recorded 14 murders, up from just five homicides during the same period in 2025. Investigators have identified interpersonal conflicts and domestic violence as the primary driving factors behind most of the recent killings.

    Phillips praised the Manchester division police leadership for successfully engaging the private sector in the project, noting that upgraded, professional working conditions directly translate to better operational outcomes. “When officers work in a space that is professional, clean, and functional, morale rises, and performance follows,” he explained. “I charge every member of the Manchester division to take ownership of this space, and build a culture of continuous improvement that spreads across every part of the station. Even small improvements, from a fresh coat of paint to working air conditioning, build pride, and that pride leads to bigger partnerships and stronger community engagement.”

    He added that public perception of police is shaped as much by how law enforcement stewards public resources as it is by crime-fighting results. “A clean, modern, functional station sends a clear message to the people of Manchester: we respect you, and we respect ourselves,” Phillips said. “Our officers run toward danger when everyone else runs away — they deserve a headquarters that matches their courage. My hope is that every briefing held in this room leads to safer streets, every strategy session saves a life, and every community meeting held here builds deeper, stronger trust between police and the people we serve.”

    The ceremony concluded with Superintendent Carey Duncan, head of the Manchester police, cutting the ribbon to officially open the new facility, as participating business leaders and senior officers looked on.

  • Decomposing body found hanging in Augier

    Decomposing body found hanging in Augier

    Authorities in the southern Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia have launched a formal homicide investigation following the grim discovery of a 34-year-old local woman’s decomposed remains in a wooded area of the Vieux Fort district.

    According to official updates from the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, plainclothes investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department assigned to the Vieux Fort Police Station were dispatched to the Pomme neighborhood of Augier just after 3 p.m. local time on Monday, May 4, 2026, after receiving an anonymous tip about the unusual sighting. Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement officers located the woman’s body hanging from a tree in a remote, sparsely populated part of the district.

    The remains were quickly removed and transported to St Jude Hospital for forensic processing, where they were positively identified as Talia Norma Hippolyte, a lifelong resident of Augier. A full postmortem examination has been scheduled for Friday, May 8, 2026, to pinpoint the exact cause and manner of Hippolyte’s death. Investigators have confirmed that the case remains active and ongoing, with no further details released to the public as they work through evidence collection.

    News of the discovery has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit local community. Multiple residents who spoke with local outlet SLT confirmed that Hippolyte had struggled with mental health challenges in the months leading up to her death, a disclosure that has rekindled long-running public conversations across Saint Lucia about gaps in mental health awareness and limited access to affordable, reliable support services for residents in need. Public health advocates have used the incident to emphasize how critical it is for community members to recognize early signs of emotional distress and connect at-risk individuals to care before tragedy occurs.

    In addition to the mental health discourse, the incident has sparked urgent concern over the spread of graphic, disturbing content online: multiple unedited videos purporting to show the crime scene and Hippolyte’s remains have circulated widely across social media platforms in recent days. Community leaders and local residents are calling on social media users to immediately stop sharing the footage, urging respect for the victim’s dignity and the privacy of her grieving family.

    As of this report, authorities have not released any further updates on the case, which remains a developing investigation.

  • PTA president condemns shooting near school

    PTA president condemns shooting near school

    A Tuesday morning shooting in the Eden Lodge neighborhood of St. Michael, steps away from a local educational facility, has drawn fierce condemnation from the top leader of Barbados’ national parent-teacher association, who is sounding the alarm over the grave danger such violence poses to schoolchildren across the island.

    Nicole Brathwaite, president of the Barbados National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (BNCPTA), denounced the violent incident in blunt terms, labeling it far more than a random tragedy—calling it fundamentally unacceptable to allow gun violence to creep so close to spaces dedicated to children’s learning. By the time the shooting occurred, Brathwaite noted, hundreds of local parents had already dropped their kids off for classes at the nearby school, putting innocent young lives directly in harm’s way.

    “This is not just unfortunate, this is unacceptable,” Brathwaite stated in public comments following the incident, emphasizing that recurring acts of violence near educational institutions systematically erode the safe environment every child has a right to expect. No innocent student should have to navigate the threat of gun violence simply while attending classes, she added.

    In the wake of the shooting, as law enforcement worked to secure the area and reunite students with their families safely, Brathwaite urged Barbadian parents to stay calm and coordinate closely with guidance issued by the Barbados Police Service throughout the response process.

    Beyond the immediate response to this specific incident, the BNCPTA president issued a broader call to action for all Barbadian citizens: step up vigilance in local communities, and work collectively to push for systemic changes that will create safer neighborhoods for families and children. “Our children deserve nothing less,” Brathwaite said, cementing the parent-teacher body’s commitment to prioritizing student safety across the country.