BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JUST three days after a Vincentian was killed on Nevis, residents of Russell Village, St. Kitts and its immediate surroundings woke up to the sounds of heavy gunfire, which resulted in the brazen shooting death of a 30-year-old man.
Dead is Damian ‘Nashi’ Isaac, who is originally from Old Road but was residing in Lime Kiln at the time of the incident. His body was discovered this morning (Feb. 12) by residents of the area lying in an alley in Russell Village bleeding from multiple bullet wounds, mainly to the back of his head.
According to one resident, “At about 7:25 this morning (Feb. 12) while preparing for work, I heard the sound of many shots being fired. The shooting was constant with brief intervals of two shots at a time. Looking through my window, I saw one man running from through the alley onto Cardin Avenue and he suddenly disappeared from my view. Shortly after that I heard someone shouting that ‘they just killed Nashi’.”
Another resident said that the slain man had parked his car next to a shop called Rasta Treat, situated opposite the Methodist Church, and was walking in an easterly direction along the Island’s Main Road.
“I heard that while Nashi was walking on the island main road, an unmasked gunman fired a shot at him and he started running down the street west of Cardin Avenue. More shots were fired at him by the gunman, and another set of them…maybe two or three more, came out of a car that was parked next to Ottley’s Enterprises and they too started to shoot at him.
“I was told that after seeing that he was cornered, Nashi ran through the Alley and the gunmen pursued him. He fell on the ground in the alley near to the entrance at Cardin Avenue and they stood over him and fired many more shots. It was done like in the movies…they shot him many times behind his head and some of his teeth were seen on the ground where he lay. I heard about 15 shots were fired during the entire ordeal,” the resident said.
While at the scene, SKNVibes observed heavy military and police presence as well as a large number of residents beyond the cordoned area, and among them were the dead man’s mother, daughter and other close family members.
After being pronounced dead by District Medical Officer Dr. Reginald O'Loughlin, Isaac’s mother and daughter were allowed to view the body shortly before it was taken away by employees of Jenkins Funeral Home.
Isaac’s death has taken the number of homicides committed in the twin-island Federation for the year to five; three on Nevis and two on St. Kitts.
The first homicide occurred on New Year’s morn shortly after 6:00, when 26-year-old Keithon Stanley of Cole Hill was killed execution-style within a building in Craddock Road, Charlestown, Nevis.
Just one week later (Jan. 7), 23-year-old Kimoy ‘Pudding’ Powell of Bath Village, Nevis (originally from Irishtown, St. Kitts) was shot multiple times at Crosses Alley in Charlestown. He succumbed to his injuries at the Alexandra Hospital.
On St. Kitts, 32-year-old Maxwell ‘Mad Max’ Chumney was killed while in the yard of his of West Street, Newtown home on Wednesday, January 20. He was shot twice, and one of the bullet wounds was visible on the left side of his head.
The most recent of these homicides was committed on Tuesday (Feb. 9), when 31-year-old Vincentian, Wesley Trimmingham, of Brown Hill was gunned down in Ramsbury within the vicinity of LEFCO Apartments.
As it is with this morning’s homicide, police investigations are ongoing for the four others.
