BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ASHLEY ALLERS, popular taxi driver and tour operator, said he was attacked with gunfire while at his home in the dead of night on Saturday, January 30, 2010.
Allers, who resides at Fortlands with his family, told SKNVibes that sometime after midnight on the day in question, he drove his vehicle into his yard and after exiting it he observed a suspicious movement.
“I drove into my yard and I parked, and I came out of my vehicle. I looked around the yard to make sure that the place was safe. As I was walking toward the door to go into the house, I recognised movement outside, in front of my gate, behind a bus parked outside my house,” Allers said.
Allers explained that he positioned himself so as to get a clearer view of the perpetrator.
“So I moved around and I looked to see, and then the person moved across and fired a shot. I assume it was at me. I fired back two shots at them and they ran off. Their shot hit the house…It didn’t hit anywhere near where I was standing. The person was wearing all black but I didn’t get to see a face or anything.”
Allers said he went back into his vehicle with the intention to set chase after and track down the perpetrator. He said that did not happen because the electrical gate which secures the entrance to his yard was already closed and would have taken some time to open.
The police were contacted and informed of the incident and, according to Allers, their response was “expeditious”. He said they conducted their investigation and took his statement before leaving the scene.
In analysing the situation, Allers said that following the incident, he noticed a couple of abnormalities in his yard which were not present up to the time he left his house on Friday evening.
“I recognise there is a light on the side of the house that was moved from the position it was in, and there was a platform that normally stands up in the yard and that was moved as well.” He said the possibility exists that another person was in the yard during the time of the incident and the shot fired by the individual on the outside was to indicate to the one on the inside that he (Allers) had arrived.
Allers said he does not know what the intentions of the individual were or does he know if the perpetrator’s actions were politically motivated, motivated by robbery or otherwise, but he has since put certain measures in place to increase his security, the security of his family and his home.
“I will do whatever it takes to protect my family. I am not backing down, and by any means necessary I will protect my family.”
SKNVibes made numerous attempts to contact the Police Public Relations Officer for a comment on the incident, but at the time of posting was informed that his presence was required in the Basseterre Court for the day.
