FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 20, 2017
VOLUME 111, No.42
www.thevincentian.com
EC$1.50
WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME! he stopped off at the ‘Road Side Bar’ in Diamond. Shortly thereafter, gunmen appeared at the shop, opened fire, and by DAYLE DASILVA Abraham was one of eight individuals shot, as IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY the gunmen unleashed past few days, says Arlene their bullets Soleyn, mother of 33-year- indiscriminately into the old Gregory Abraham, who shop. died after being shot while Police sources indicate at a shop in Diamond last that the intended victim Saturday night. was also in the For Abraham, it was a establishment, but was classic case of being at able to escape. the wrong place at the Abraham was not that wrong time. fortunate, and died at The deceased man’s the Milton Cato mother told THE Memorial Hospital on VINCENTIAN that she Monday, succumbing to a has been finding it shot he received to the difficult to fall asleep, stomach. and eating has become as equally difficult for her Well loved since her son’s death. According to Arlene, His mother described her son was now making him as a hard-working his way from work when person — “very quiet.” Editor’s Note: The parents of Gregory Abraham requested that they not be photographed.
Gregory Abraham - the only one of eight persons shot who died in the attack at a bar in Diamond.
Abraham spent some time in Canada — a total of seven years, Arlene Soleyn said. “And it was just seven years since he has been back.” Dad, Reynold Soleyn, chimed in, saying that he knew that his son was a good person. “He is ah man who
love wuk. You have something to do and you call him, he will go,” Reynold Soleyn said. Abraham was loved by everyone in both communities in which he resided — Redemption Sharpes and Diamond, his father continued. Continued on Page 3.
Remnants of the atatck - bullet holes - in the chairs and a partition in the bar.
‘HEARTLESS AND SENSELESS”, SAYS BAR OPERATOR fire into ‘Road Side Bar’ shooting Abraham, Kenneth ‘Bullo’ Barzie, 42; Kerime Benjamin, 25; Andrew Layne, 37; Kaymanie Richards, 39; Kerwin John, 52; Fitzroy Iris, 62, all of Diamond, and Michael Richards, 18, of Calliaqua. Abraham succumbed to his injuries in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on Monday. THE VINCENTIAN understands that several The Bar at Diamond where eight persons were shot. persons who were ‘liming’ at the bar when the incident by HAYDN HUGGINS night, has described the occurred, jumped through incident as, “heartless and windows and ran in different SAMUEL KEIZER, operator of senseless.” directions, to escape the hail of the bar at Diamond where 33The drama reportedly bullets. Fortunately, some year-old Gregory ‘Pecker’ unfolded just after 9 p.m., were unhurt. Abraham, was shot and killed, when masked men alighted an The episode, said to be the and seven others left nursing unmarked white Toyota first of its kind to have gunshot injuries last Saturday ‘Sprinter’ vehicle and opened
occurred in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has left the Diamond community in a state of shock and trauma. Keizer, who has been operating the businessplace for about two months, told THE VINCENTIAN at the outlet on Tuesday, “It is a sad situation. It is senseless and heartless. These (victims) were innocent people just enjoying a lime, and keeping themselves out of trouble. I hope the perpetrators would be brought to justice”. He pointed out that people come to his bar to lime, have a drink, enjoy the music, then go home. Keizer said that his 19year-old daughter, who sometimes assisted him with the business, was so
Kenneth ‘Bullo’ Barzie, nursing his many wounds at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. traumatized that she left, following the incident, and went back to meet her mother. Continued on Page 3.