BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ANOTHER firearm is off the streets of the Federation and the young man on whom it was allegedly found was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison.
A police communiqué stated that Kevin Hamilton, formally of St. Paul’s Village but who now resides at West Farm, is that young man and he was taken into custody at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Jun. 24) by officers of the Anti-Narcotics Unit during a Stop and Search Operation.
A search of his person revealed that he had one semi-automatic pistol with a magazine that had a number of matching rounds tucked in the waist of his pants.
Hamilton, the pistol and ammunition were taken into police custody and on the following day he was “formally arrested, charged and remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison”.
Speaking with this publication earlier today (Jun. 28), Police Press and Public Relations Officer Inspector Lyndon David said that Hamilton is “being looked at as person of interest in connection with the Wednesday morning (Jun. 24) shooting of Ernest ‘Gray Patch’ Hendricks in Palmetto Point”.
Hendricks is the proprietor of a small bakery and shop on the island’s main road in Palmetto Point called Highway Superette.
Reports reaching this media house had stated that at about 6:00 a.m. on the day in question, while Hendricks was in the bakery section of his business establishment preparing his products for the day’s sale, a masked gunman entered and demanded money from him.
Reportedly, the businessman told the gunman that he had no money and, in defence, he threw an object at him. This action resulted in a brief struggle that ended with two shots being fired.
The bandit then made good his escape leaving Hendricks with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
According to the St. Kitts-Nevis Observer, a neighbour, who claimed to have heard some of the verbal exchange and the sounds of gunfire, ran to the bakery and found a bleeding Hendricks.
He reportedly alerted Hendricks’ son, who was within the residential part of the property, and also another neighbour, who together rushed the injured man to the JNF Hospital in the bus he uses to deliver his flour products.
Hendricks underwent emergency surgery and is said to be warded in stable condition.
Inspector David said investigations are ongoing and the police are seeking the public’s assistance in the providence of any information that would lead to the successful conviction of the perpetrator of this latest gun-related crime.
Meantime, last evening (Jun. 27), while thousands of patrons were enjoying the final acts at the 19th annual St. Kitts Music Festival, three shots rang out in the vicinity of Wiggley Avenue in Basseterre.
According to Inspector David, police had responded to the report but initial investigation revealed that no one was injured.
This incident, he said, is also being investigated.
