The shooting death of a man from Greiggs/Owia has shattered the peace of the new community at Lowmans Bay to which former residents of Rose Place were relocated in January.
Rohan Rawlins, also known as “Charla”, who was originally from Greiggs but was living in Owia, was gunned down as he sat in the patio of a duplex, around 11:30 a.m. Monday.
The death of the 43-year-old man brings to 27 the number of homicides in St. Vincent and the Grenadines this year.
It comes just four days after Jeran Deroche, of Frenches, was killed and three others were left nursing gunshot injuries after a shooting at a karaoke event in Arnos Vale last Thursday.
In Lowmans Bay, on Monday, children and teens who said they saw the shooting, recounted to each other how a man, wearing an “ugly mask”, walked up an embankment and sneaked up on Rawlins before firing about five shots in his direction.
They pointed out a muddy footprint that the assailant allegedly left on the walkway near the eave of the house.
The minors said that the assailant used the wall of the house as a shield and extended his arm and fired at Rawlins before fleeing the area on foot.
As is often the case, police officers at the scene were reticent, confirming only the most basic of information about the crime.
However, residents of the community, including Yashima “Diver” Fitzpatrick, the owner of the house where the shooting took place, told iWitness News that they were baffled.
Fitzpatrick said he was in his garden attending to his plants when he heard about four or five gunshots.
“So I run up to see what happened … I see the guy in the porch there… I look at him, I ain’t see no movement, I see like blood running from his forehead and he face,” he said.
“I don’t know the guy. It’s the first time I am seeing the guy, too, up in this village… Is when the incident happen and people come I get to know he’s from Owia,” the homeowner said.
He said that children in the area said that they saw an assailant dressed in black.
“It’s strange and it’s frightening… I feel insecure right now because people might think me and the guy is friend like how it happen in the porch here,” said Fitzpatrick, who has been living in the community for about four months.
“I don’t want I dey here with my family or my friends them come check me and people have to come here with gun and say they looking for retaliation. I wasn’t involved at all, at all. Everything is strange to me. Everybody knows me as a diver who goes to sea on a daily basis and make my money.”
Residents of the community speculated about the killing, and offered their own theories.
It appeared that Rawlins drove himself to the area in motor vehicle, PH881, a blue Suzuki SUV, which is said to belong to him. There was a blue jerry can, of the type that fishers often use to store fuel near to the vehicle.
Police placed the can inside the vehicle after processing the scene.
Meanwhile, residents of the community said that the authorities should install surveillance cameras of the type erected at other places across the country, saying that this might help to deter similar crimes in their community.
How many of these 27 murders have been solve by the police ?
Yashima must be thinking he talking to all toddlers smh time will tell
So the people have to tall them that? You feel the police don’t know they have to? People need to start defending them self now instead of waiting on police because they always late and thats to late.
This is not a good start at all for the new residents.That person (shooter) just want to create a bad image for the new neighborhood. Besides, why the deceased left his home and came there and the resident claimed he doesn’t know him?
No stranger would never do that.
What is the resident hiding?
Was this a setup/or revenge? #More in the mortle than the pestle. #Just saying!
Men in black? Aryo sure the MIB wasn’t after extraterrestial beings and accidentally shot this individual? The MIB had little regard for children. Aryo lucky more people ain’t bawling.