Layou shootings have residents unsettled

Recent shootings and killings in the Central Leeward Community of Layou are said to be part of an ongoing dispute with possible ties to incidences of violence throughout the rest of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

The latest shooting in the fishing community took place over the weekend, when on Saturday, November 18, Leon “Zacchaeus” Gaymes of Texier Road was shot and killed.

Reports are that around 8 pm, Gaymes was struck at least six times by a masked man’s bullets and died on his way to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH).

On Monday, a resident of Layou who said he would normally identify himself when speaking to reporters, told SEARCHLIGHT that this time, he would not identify himself as he believes the situation in his community is out of control and he does not know who to trust.

He told SEARCHLIGHT that after Tambu Patrick, the Layou resident was shot and killed on Sunday, November 5, Leon and two other family members were detained by police for questioning, but later released.

Persons said on the night Tambu was killed, two gunmen approached him and ended his life and may have driven away in a car that was parked close to the crime scene.

“Leon’s name was being mentioned in several incidents, not just from this year, but from years ago…,”said the Layou man while adding that his killing may have been retaliation for Tambu’s murder, same as persons were claiming that Tambu’s death came as retaliation for the death of “Smoke”, whose real name is Delarno Kyle Corney Patrick.

Despite having been questioned by police on more than one occasion, Gaymes has never been charged with a criminal offence.

Smoke, a 33-year-old construction worker at the Sandals Resorts in Buccament, was shot and killed at around 1 am on Sunday, October 15, in Middle Street, Layou. He was on his way home when he was accosted and shot about 10 times about his body, the gunman using the darkness of the area to conceal his crime.

Coincidentally, Smoke, this country’s 42nd homicide victim, was close friends with this country’s 37th homicide victim Jervarny “Luche” Baptiste.

Jervarny, 29, of Ottley Hall, was shot around 8 a.m. on Thursday September 7 in Buccament while making his way to work on the construction site of the Sandals Resort. He was shot as many as 16 times and died on the spot in an area close to the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School.

Jervarny and Smoke would sometimes walk to work together after meeting on the Buccament main road, but on the day Jervarny was shot, Smoke had taken another route to work. When Smoke heard Jervarny had been shot, he ran home to Layou and persons began spreading rumours that he was involved, with some even saying that Smoke was the one who pulled the trigger, which was not true.

The resident on Monday told SEARCHLIGHT that a lot of talk is circulating in the community and people are entertaining the idea that entities outside of Layou are responsible for hiring entities in Layou to commit crimes on fellow villagers and that is responsible for the upsurge in crime that has the community on edge.

“You are hearing all sorts of things. People saying Tambu was involved in Smoke’s shooting and when Tambu died, that was retaliation for Smoke and now Leon is retaliation for Tambu.

“The thing is, Tambu and Smoke is family and I never know Tambu and Smoke had anything and then now people saying Gaymes and Smoke and Tambu is family too. Is all kind of things you hearing, so I not really sure what going on,” the Layou man said.

This latest shooting has brought the homicide count here in SVG to 48 for 2023, with persons fearing the count may rise before the New Year’s fireworks go off.

Police are investigating all the murders mentioned in this article and up to press time they remained unsolved.

[[ UPDATED on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. to add that Leon Gaymes, who was shot and killed on November 18, 2023,  has never been charged with a criminal offence in St Vincent and the Grenadines.]]