Second shooting death for Golden Vale family

For the second time in nine years, a shooting homicide has thrown a family of Golden Vale into mourning.

Last Tuesday, July 18, around 8:00 a.m., Kemon Roberts also known as “Bigga” and “Shaka”, was walking to work at a nearby seafood facility when he was shot multiple times in the head by a lone, masked gunman.

The shooting occurred in the vicinity of the Anglican Church and resulted in the death of the 28-year-old supervisor who worked at Rainforest Seafood in the East St. George Community of Calliaqua.

A man who lived next to where the shots rang out said he heard about seven to eight loud explosions.

Kemon’s death happened a few feet away from where his cousin, Chesley “Puppy” Dewer, met a similar fate in June, 2014.

Chesley, at the time a 32-year-old father of a four-year-old boy and stepfather of an eight-year-old girl, died on his way to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) after being shot multiple times by two masked, hooded men sometime after 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2014. He was sitting in a plastic chair on his porch.

After the men had carried out Chesley’s execution, they used a footpath next to the house to make a getaway, very likely the same footpath that Kemon used every morning on his way to work.

Denise Roberts, Kemon’s mother said he was the second of three children.

“I feel sad and heartbroken but there is nothing I can do. I can’t change the hands of time,” Denise said while adding, “he was very hostile if you get to him, he would explain himself, he would be loud but you couldn’t find a better person when he’s in his right frame of mind.”

Denise told SEARCHLIGHT that she has no idea why anybody would want to shoot Kemon.

“Honestly, I can’t say because sometimes people- like we does say, bad mind you for nothing at all.

“I don’t know what is the problem. I know he was not in drugs, actually, he use to work Rainforest as a supervisor…,”Denise offered while noting that her son turned 28 on January, 25.

Denise said she last spoke to her son the morning he left for work and he never hinted to her that he was in any sort of trouble, but she knew of an incident that took place recently.

“One time I encounter like he and a guy on the job was arguing. I can’t say is that (cause his death) because like some other people to, I can’t say punctually is this one or that one or the other and I am not going to point a finger and say is Tom, Dick, Harry is James is John, no…” Denise stressed.

She added that she did not go close to her son’s body while he was lying dead in the road as she could not stand to look at him like that.

Denise said she is a Christian and believes in the power of prayer so she has put the situation “in the hands of the Lord.”

She also shared the opinion that this generation deals with every situation with violence.

“It’s not like when we grow up, even if you kick me I might kick you back and done, they’re not ‘done-ing’. If you hit me today, 10 years down the road they go come back for you.

“This generation is different to our generation when we growing up. They don’t leave thing alone. They feel the gun is the solution to all the problems and I don’t think so,” Denise stressed.

She is encouraging people to live in love and if that is done, “the world will be a better place for every one of us … I think so”.

Morando Roberts, the dead man’s brother said he is sad about what happened to his brother.

“We close, but we does have we little bassa bassa when we ready, you know brothers already,” Morando said, while adding that he left his brother taking a shower and went to work only to get a phone call that he was shot and killed.

“I don’t have no idea why anybody would want to do that to him,” Morando said, noting that his brother was a “cool fellow really.”

“You know, sometimes on the road and thing you does get in bassa bassa when doing your work and thing,” the bereaved remarked, while recalling the murder of his cousin Chesley, in June 2014.

Family members are hoping that Kemon’s killing does not go unsolved like that of his cousin Chesley.

The police are asking members of the public who have information that can help with the investigation to contact the Calliaqua Police Station at 1-784-458-4200 or 1-784-457- 1211 ext. 4837 or 999/911.