Two murdered in Providenciales shootings

Garfield Dennie, 20, died on June 5, weeks after being shot in Blue Hills

TCI records 10th and 11th homicides of 2020

BY REBECCA BIRD

A WOMAN, 32, and a 20-yearold man who both died last Friday from gunshot wounds are the latest victims of violent crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The homicides are the 10th and 11th already this year – putting the territory on track to have one of the highest per capita murder rates in the Caribbean for 2020.

The first victim, Pierecine Petite, was fatally shot off South Dock Road in Providenciales shortly after 4pm on June 5, the police press office said.

She and a young man who was also injured in the shooting were taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for treatment. The woman succumbed to her injures at 4.16pm.

Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting who visited the scene offered his condolences to the family of the murdered woman and said these bold acts of gun violence must stop.

“The shooting that took place this afternoon was very brazen and it is obvious that these criminals are not afraid of the law,” he said in a press release on Saturday.

He said that police are investigating the circumstances behind the shooting.

“What we’re asking for right now, anyone that was along the road adjacent to the Red Bar or on South Dock Road, in between those areas, if you saw anything that happened during this occurrence to please call us right now.”

Twenty-year-old Garfield Dennie also died on June 5, weeks after sustaining gunshot wounds in a shooting in Blue Hills, Providenciales.

Shots were fired on Ralph Close at about 8pm on May 23, during which another young man, aged 19, was injured. Both men were taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.

Dennie, who had a gunshot wound to the upper body, was treated immediately by the trauma team.

TCI Hospital press officer Nikira John said: “He was admitted to the High Dependency Unit for continuous care and monitoring and was transferred overseas for tertiary level care.”

Dennie was airlifted to Jamaica for further medical treatment but later succumbed to his injuries.

The 19-year-old, who sustained a gunshot wound to the forearm, received immediate care.

“The patient was in stable condition and did not require hospital admission thereafter,” John said.

This horrific incident brings the murder count to 11 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the seventh murder since the territory was placed under lockdown.

Nine-year-old Samardia Karioka was killed in her Grand Turk home on May 20. Her mother Najaj Karioka, 42, was taken into custody following the death.

Percy Williams, 77, was shot dead in his Blue Hills home on May 3 as he tried to protect his family from armed robbers.

A murdered man, who is yet to be identified, was found at Blue Hills dump site on April 18 after reports were made of shots being fired in the vicinity.

On April 13, Martin Barga, a 44-year old construction worker from the Dominican Republic, was tragically shot and killed on Millennium Highway in Blue Hills.

On March 18, Acyjeune Brunorlien, 57, was shot dead during a home invasion in Five Cays, making it the third murder in just over a week.

Godly Petiote, 21, died in hospital on March 12 after he was shot several times on International Drive in Providenciales.

Sheen Dean, 26, was shot dead on Bay Road in Blue Hills on March 10 - in an incident that left two others with serious injuries.

Twenty-two-year-old Horace Wignal Junior, known as DJ Spookie, died from gunshot wounds on January 21 following a home invasion in Long Bay, Providenciales, earlier that month.

The first murder of the year was that of 29-year-old Fritz Gerald Mossoul who died in Providenciales from gunshot wounds on January 17.

In 2019 the TCI recorded a total of 13 murders across the territory.

Anyone with information on any incident can call 911, Chalk Sound Police Station on 338- 5901 or 941-8082, or contact Crime Stoppers confidentially on 1-800-8477.