The Anguillian community and social media are replete with words of condolence, regret and anger occasioned by the senseless murder of Leroy Vanterpool, a 52-year-old patriotic citizen of Welches, one of the island’s smallest villages.
A report from the Public & Media Relations Department of the Royal Anguilla Police Force stated that on Sunday, January 5, 2020, Mr. Vanterpool was shot dead (outside his family’s premises) and that another victim, Salih Abdur Raheem, a 44-year-old resident of East End, who was with him at the time, sustained gunshot injuries.
The police report stated that the shooting incident is under investigation and has appealed “to any member of the public who was in the vicinity of the Welches area, or has any information relating to the shooting, to contact the Major Crime Unit of the Royal Anguilla Police Force.”
Other than the above information, the police have remained tight lipped on the matter up to press time on Wednesday evening, January 8, while continuing their investigations. Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Morrison, told The Anguillian newspaper that he could only say that the police “were actively pursuing lines of inquiry” into the matter. It is understood, however, that several persons were taken in for questioning.
News of the incident filled the community with much dismay – taking into account that it is the first homicide in Anguilla at the start of 2020, and that it came at a time when there was an apparent lull in gun crime and violence on the island.
Leroy was a member of the industrious, hard-working and community-minded Vanterpool family with much influence and respect not only in the Welches area, but across the island in general. Among other community services, he was a real estate developer in terms of apartment rentals; a water supplier both on a commercial scale as well as in cases of philanthropic needs. His philanthropy also included cooking and sharing food to persons in his community. He has been a driving force behind the renovation and restocking of the grocery business formerly operated by his late father, Mr. Maxwell Vanterpool, making it a well-patronised, proud and attractive small supermarket in Welches Village.
His friend, Raheem, who is recovering from his injuries, is also a well-respected community-minded person. He is a very active resident, club member and youth leader in the East End area and a noted farmer in the Mount Fortune area.
The attack on both young men has been described as senseless and an act of atrocity in its widest application.
