BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE their valiant effort, medical practitioners at the Joseph N France General Hospital failed to save the life of a young man who was shot last night (Aug. 25) on Fort Thomas Road in Irish Town.
Information reaching SKNVibes states that the young man, whose name was given as 17-year-old Rakeem Hanley, died early this morning but it is not known if it were during surgery.
This publication was told that the shooting victim was residing in McKnight but originally hailed from Market Street.
According to one McKnight resident, he had just returned home at about 9:00 p.m. when he heard the sound of gunfire coming from the direction of Fort Thomas Road.
“I was about to take a bath when I heard a sound resembling that of a gun being fired. It was not loud and I dismissed the thought. However, shortly after the first one, I heard about five more and I realised that it had to be someone firing a gun,” the resident said.
He told this publication that his fears were confirmed a few minutes later after hearing the wailing sound of an ambulance.
“After hearing the sound of the ambulance, I hurriedly dressed and got out of my home. But by the time I reached where a crowd had gathered I learned that a youth was shot and the ambulance was rushing him to the hospital.
Recounting what he learnt, the resident said that while the young man was riding a bicycle along Fort Thomas Road, he was shot in the vicinity of the steps that lead to the Bay Road in Irish Town.
“I was told that he received the first shot while riding on Fort Thomas Road. I think they say that the bullet grazed his head and he jumped off the bicycle. He tried to run away from his attacker in the direction of the steps, but he was shot again and he fell down on the road.”
The resident further said he was told that the perpetrator then went over the fallen victim and fired more shots into his body.
SKNVibes was told that one of the bullets had struck the young man to the head.
On arrival at the scene, members of the Crime Scene Unit were conducting investigations as other police officers and a squad from the Defence Force were securing the area.
Hanley's death has taken to 19, the amount of homicides committed in the Federation for the year; six on Nevis and 13 on St. Kitts.
