Anguilla recorded a second murder for 2015 – on May 1 – when Stephan Brooks of North Valley was shot to death shortly after 5.00 am. The Police said the unresponsive male was found in a motor vehicle after they had responded to a report of shots having been fired in The Valley.
“As the Police continue investigation into this matter, they are appealing to members of the public who may have been in the area of the Webster Park, Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School or the Roundabout and may have witnessed this shooting incident or have any information regarding this shooting to contact The Valley Police Station with such information,” a Police statement added. “Forensic evidence at the scene suggests that a firearm was used to inflict injury to the deceased and damage to the motor vehicle he was driving.”
Chief Minister, the Hon. Victor Banks, broadcast an immediate statement in which he said that “another family was stricken as it mourns the loss of a son, a mere youth, as a result of a senseless and wilful act of gun violence perpetrated on the streets of our beloved homeland, Anguilla.”
Noting that the late Leroy Richardson-Carter, of West End, was shot and killed some two weeks before, Mr. Banks said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the parents, family and friends of both these young men, cut down in the prime of their lives.”
The Chief Minister’s statement continued: “Our people seem helpless as this scourge of gun violence persists in our communities. And every blast of the ambulance and the police siren becomes a painful reminder to some mother; some father; relative or friend that this could be their turn to mourn. This is not the Anguilla that we promised our children – nor is it the destination that we promote to the rest of the world.
“I would like to take this opportunity to urge all Anguillians, and residents of Anguilla, to continue the crusade against violence in our communities. It is the responsibility of each and everyone of us, whatever our vocation or station in life, to unite to stamp out and eradicate all forms of violence in our society. There is no place for this scourge in the Anguilla we have pledged to build – a nation proud, strong and free.
“At this stage of the process of bringing the cowardly perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice, it is important that we all cooperate with the officers of the Royal Anguilla Police Force as they carry out their investigations. They are the ones that have been charged with the authority to do so for the safety and security of our communities.
“There is no need for anyone to take the law into his or her own hands, or to withhold useful information that can lead to the prosecution of guilty persons. We must begin to appreciate the importance of our own responsibilities in bringing this scourge of violence, in our homeland, to a swift and complete conclusion.
“Your Government pledges to stand by you, by bringing all available resources to the task of eradicating violence in our communities – and to cooperating with all those persons and groups who unite behind this important crusade.
“May God Bless You All! And May God Bless Anguilla!”
