A brazen daylight shooting at Leslie Land in Castries on Wednesday, March 25th, has left three people injured, including a barber, a suspected robber and an innocent passerby, heightening concerns about public safety in busy areas.
The incident, which occurred just before noon, reportedly unfolded when two men attempted to rob a barber shop in the area.
According to eyewitness accounts, the barber, described as a Rastafarian man, confronted the suspects with a firearm, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the chaotic moments.
“Apparently, the guy, the rasta is a barber in a barber shop and these guys came and robbed him, and he pursued the guys himself having a firearm, running behind them,” the witness said. “As he swung in the yard there, that’s Leslie Land, Waterworks Road, there was an exchange where the rasta got shot in his leg.”
The witness added that the situation quickly escalated, placing others at risk.
“In the exchange of shots an innocent passerby got shot as well,” he stated. “There was a man on the road with a mentally challenged child who had to struggle to get the child out of the way because the guys were firing shots all between the people.”
An off-duty police officer in plain clothes, who happened to be nearby, responded swiftly to the scene and was not injured.
The eyewitness commended the officer’s actions and the overall police response.
“What I saw there today, that was bravery of the utmost,” he said. “That officer, I do not know his name, but whoever he is, I commend him and his family. I actually feel to give him a special recommendation because I love the work he did.”
He continued, “The police performed very well today. From a bystander, just going to buy bread and seeing what happened, I find the police responded quickly. In no time they were there and in no time the ambulance was there as well. The rasta did not spend ten minutes on the ground.”
The witness said the incident highlights the dangers posed by violent crime in public spaces.
“It is appalling, it is atrocious, it is just wrong, it is morally destructive and inhumane,” he said. “We are all exposed to these kinds of dangers because when the violence starts, there is no telling if it is our cousin, our mother, our uncle, our son or even ourselves who could get caught in the crossfire.”
Emergency personnel responded promptly and transported the injured individuals for medical treatment. Authorities have not yet released official details on the identities or conditions of those involved as investigations continue.