BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TWO young men, who were taken into police custody following Saturday evening (May 27) shooting incident at the Warner Park Football Stadium in Basseterre, were formally arrested and slapped with two charges.
According to a police communiqué, the two men, Lewis Powell and Dequan Maloney, both of Upper Shaw Avenue in McKnight, were charged with grievous bodily harm and making use of a firearm to commit a felony.
At about 7:25 on the day in question, while a football game was being played between RAM’S Village Superstars and FLOW 4G Cayon Rockets, pandemonium broke loose as an unidentified male fired a number of shots in the direction of a young man who was seated among a large group of spectators that included children.
The incident occurred on the mound in the eastern direction of the Stadium, which cause the spectators to scamper to safety in all directions, including running onto the field of play.
However, the intended target, Amal Whyte of St. Johnson Village, was reportedly shot to the hand and side and it was said that he either fractured or broke his knee while trying to escape the gunman’s wrath.
He was transported to the JNF General Hospital, where, according to a family member, he is scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow (May 31).
The police communiqué had informed that the firearm used in the commission of the crime was “an air pistol/pellet gun”.
The game was called off for the night and was rescheduled for the following evening, which saw Village Superstars going down 4-nil to Cayon Rockets.
Speaking to reporters after Sunday evening games, Minister of Sports, the Hon. Shawn Richards stated that the Government had strongly condemned the incident and disclose that after speaking with the person responsible for the mounted security cameras at the venue, the police was able to apprehend the two young men.
The police communiqué also stated that the Force “registers appreciation to those who provided information with regards to this incident”.
It further stated that head of the Violent Crimes Unit, Inspector Mackie Smith commended those who provided information and urged members of the to continue assisting the police.
“It is this type of support that brings investigations forward. Persons provided what information they had and helped us to build a case. I encourage the public to continue. Together we can make a difference.”
