BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Federation last night (May 31) recorded its eighth murder for the year with the shooting death of a young male McKnight resident.
Dead is 31-year-old Dale ‘Hot Boy’ Wattley who was shot sometime after 9:00 p.m. within proximity of his home, situated in an alley east of Upper Shaw Avenue in McKnight.
According to the Police Press and Public Information Officer, Sergeant Stephen Hector, at about 9:30 p.m. officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force responded to a report of shooting in the McKnight area.
Hector said in a release that on arrival police’s at the scene, Wattley was found wounded lying in an alley at Upper Shaw Avenue and was pronounced dead by the District Medical Officer, Dr. Mervyn Laws.
On arrival at the scene, this media house observed members of the Criminal Investigations Department and Crime Scene Technicians conducting investigations, while a large crowd had gathered along Upper Shaw Avenue.
In an attempt to gain more details of the shooting incident, questions were asked of some members of the crowd who claimed not to have heard reports of gunfire but were agitated by the disquieting news.
A few female residents voiced their disgust over the killing of young men from McKnight and boisterously urged the police to find Wattley’s killer(s).
“I can bet you that by tomorrow the police will arrest someone from McKnight for this murder. Hot Boy didn’t have enemies in McKnight, but anything that happens they always coming and arrest McKnight people.
“I ain’t know why they don’t employ a better strategy to catch criminals whenever they hear about a shooting. All they good for is to lock-up people when they catch them with a joint. What they need to do is send an investigation team to McKnight where the crime was committed and, at the same time, send the army men and police officers to the Village and Shadwell. McKnight people don’t haranguer m McKnight people,” one female resident said.
The crowd’s anger had however dissipated on arrival of a tracking dog which seemed to have picked up a scent, as it was seen running in a northern direction with its handler.
That action brought cheers from the crowd and many of them voiced their belief that the police would soon apprehend the perpetrator(s). However, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ian Queeley, who was at the scene, was tight-lipped on what was discovered.
Wattley was a member of the New Mentality Team Club in McKnight which was founded by Chad Williams.
Members of this club were engaged in several beautification projects in McKnight and have been demonstrating a positive path of crime fighting.
On January 19, 2012, Wattley and Williams along with Commissioner of Police Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn had visited Her Majesty’s Prison, where they spoke at length with the inmates, encouraging them to be on a positive path and to deter from criminal life and thinking.
Wattley was also scheduled to participate in Operation Future’s Peace Concert which will be held at Independence Square tomorrow (June 2) from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Dale ‘Hot Boy’ Wattley’s death has taken to eight the number of murders committed in the twin-island Federation for the year; seven on St. Kitts and one on Nevis.
