BASSSETERRE, St. Kitts – A businessman was this morning (June 9) shot in both legs after he refused to hand over his money to two masked bandits.
Sixty-eight-year-old Courtland Carter, owner of Carter’s Shop on Cardin Avenue, was shot at about 11:00 this morning by one of two masked men who entered his business premises with the intention of robbing him.
According to eyewitness account, a relatively large group of customers was in the shop when two armed masked men entered.
“The shop had plenty people in it and I was drinking a beer when two men suddenly appear and seh, ‘Nobody @#**# move’. One was tall and the other one was short. All two of them was slim and dark. All two of them had guns and they had on dark masks with holes to the eye, nose and mouth. From the little we see of them, you can seh the tall one is about 17 and the short one about 13.
“The tall one tell the short one to search Courtland and tek he money. So he push the door that Courtland does use to go behind the counter and Courtland hold on to his pockets and seh he aint giving no money. The short one try to get his hand in Courtland pocket but Courtland didn’t allow he.
“Courtland run outside and they follow he…and shortly after ah hear shots firing. When I went outside I see Courtland was on de ground bleeding,” one individual said.
Another individual said they were not within the shop, but had seen when two armed masked men ran into the building and told the customers not to move.
The individual further stated that “shortly after the two men went in the shop, Courtland came running out with the gunmen hot on his heels. They caught up with him and told him to sit on the sidewalk. Courtland complied, but as they tried to get into his pockets he didn’t allow them to do so”.
The eyewitness said they believed that Carter’s pockets might have had the morning’s sales and that was what the bandits were after.
“After they see that Courtland was giving no quarter, they then shoot him on both legs and run away,” the eyewitness said. When asked why no one went to Carter’s rescue, the eyewitness said, “Gunshot respect no knot!”
It was also revealed that the two gunmen made good their escape running south along Cardin Avenue then into an alley, but without Carter’s money. A unit from the Emergency Medical Services took the businessman to the Joseph N France General Hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries.
Police investigations are ongoing.
