BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TWO young men are nursing bullet wounds at the JNF Hospital after they were shot last night (Mar. 29) in the vicinity of Razba’s Ital Shop on St. Johnston’s Avenue.
On arrival at the scene, SKNVibes learned that the wounded men were 17-year-old Joel ‘Beyaka’ Phillip of La Guerite Village and Thuan ‘Assassin’ Audain (20) of St. Johnson’s Village.
Also at the scene was Sergeant Edward Drew of the Criminal Investigation Department, who was heading a team of investigators. He told this media house that police received a report about a shooting that occurred in St. Johnson’s Village at about 8:45 p.m. and investigations revealed that the two victims were shot in their feet by an unidentified individual who had emerged from an alley.
SKNVibes visited the hospital and met Phillip’s father, Joseph Isaac, in the Waiting Room. Isaac told this media house he was informed that while his son was sitting outside of Razba’s Ital Shop, a masked gunman emerged from a nearby alley and started firing shots at him.
He said his son told him that he heard when the shots were fired and shortly after realised his right foot was injured, and he ran to the street in the vicinity of the building that houses the Democrat Newspaper.
Isaac also said that his son was shot in the right instep and the bullet exited through the area of his toes.
Isaac explained that Phillip is his only son and he had been living with him since he was one month old, adding that he does not go to school and is unemployed.
The father said that he has spoken to his son on numerous occasions about the lifestyle he lives and feels that he is strongly influenced by friends and the type of company he keeps.
“I spoke to him a few days ago, but all he does is listen and smile. He does not talk much and much more needs to be done to help him. One man as a parent can’t help him…more needs to be done to help these guys,” he said.
SKNVibes was informed that Audain was shot in his left foot and right ankle, and would have to undergo surgery because the ankle was badly damaged.
SKNVibes was also told that the assailant fled the scene in a green Suzuki jeep.
This is the second time that the two young men suffered gunshot injuries.
On the evening of May 29, 2010, Phillip and Audain's younger brother, Theon, were shot in St. Johnson’s Village. Phillip had sustained a wound to one of his toes while Theon was shot in the neck, chest and head.
At approximately 2:24 p.m. on July 19, 2010, Audain was among a group of six young men who were shot while playing a game of draughts under a tree, situated at the first alley between Millionaire Street and St. Johnston’s Avenue close to the Island Main Road.
To date, no one was arrested and convicted for the two shooting incidents, but police stated that investigations are ongoing.
