Three deaths bring homicide count in SVG to 47

Local police detectives were kept busy over the weekend as three deaths over three days brought the homicide count in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to 47.

The first calls of the weekend came on Friday, November 3 as police responded to two homicides on that day.

Investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident that resulted in the death of Maurice Primus, a 31 year-old labourer of Fair Hall.

Sometime after 10 pm on November 3, Primus was discovered unresponsive along the Fair Hall public road with injuries to his body.

A party of police officers headed by Inspector Ashlyn Samuel-Bristol arrived at the scene at around 10:20 pm after an anonymous call was made to the Calliaqua Police Station.

On arrival at the scene, Primus was found lying motionless on his back with what appeared to be bullet wounds about his body.

According to a release from the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), Primus was reportedly walking home after attending a function when he was killed.

A postmortem is expected to be carried out on the deceased to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Also on Friday November 3, Zachari McIntosh, a 31-year-old labourer of Calliaqua died. He was wounded during an altercation on Tuesday, October 31, and died three days later, while a patient at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH).

It is said that on Wednesday, November 1, one day after being injured, McIntosh was taken to the Calliaqua Health Centre for treatment and later the same day, was transferred to MCMH where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday.

A resident of Calliaqua is the main suspect in this homicide, but was first detained on a grievous bodily harm investigation.

A postmortem examination is expected to be carried out on McIntosh to ascertain the exact cause of death and the final classification of the offence will be made after the conclusion of the post mortem.

And, on Sunday, November 5, shortly before 9 pm, Tambu Patrick, a resident of Layou, died in a hail of bullets in his home town.

This was the third occasion on which Patrick was shot, the first time being on March 14, 2018. On that occasion, he was also charged with firearm and ammunition possession. He was convicted of that offence in January 2020 and sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

The second time Patrick was shot was said to be on April 11, 2018 during an incident with the police.

The police are asking anyone with information that can assist with these investigations to call 999/911, 458-4200 or any police station or police officer who they are comfortable speaking with.

“All information received would be treated confidentially,” a police press release said.