Residents of The Pine, St Michael, gripped by fear and frustration, called on Friday for law enforcement action after two violent incidents — a fatal shooting on Thursday night and one stabbing less than a day later — shattered the community’s uneasy calm.
While Barbados TODAY was in the Pine reporting on the violent shooting attack, the second incident unfolded when a young man was stabbed on Glendale Close around midday on Friday. Police said investigations are continuing. The victim, as yet unidentified, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance.
On Thursday night, Chrishon Gooding, 21, was shot multiple times while sitting on a step at the corner of Stafford Hill, Pineland. Police said he was approached by two assailants who fired several shots, hitting him about the body.
He was taken to hospital by private vehicle, where he later died from his injuries.
A long-time resident who lives near the scene said he was jolted awake by the sound of gunfire. He expressed frustration over what he described as a cycle of violence among young men in the area.
“I tell myself if they want to be idiots and want to kill one another, let them,” he said bluntly. “You could resolve issues, you could avoid doing all them kinda things the youngsters doing now. I don’t feel good about it though… I got a son too. They doing bare junk to one another.”
Having lived in the area for more than 40 years, the resident said many people are now afraid to speak out about what they witness, fearing retaliation. He also accused the police of not taking community concerns seriously.
“I gone to the police to make a complaint, they didn’t take me on,” he said. “Anytime a person make a complaint, they should take it seriously.”
Pointing out that a police outpost sits just a stone’s throw away from where Gooding was shot, the residents also questioned the effectiveness of law enforcement while violent incidents continue unabated. Several people said the officers’ presence “makes no difference”.
Another young man who lives nearby said he believes unemployment and easy access to firearms are fuelling the violence.
“Nothing that happen in the Pine don’t bother me… as long as nothing happens to my loved ones,” he said. “The whole world getting cold… innocent people dying everywhere. I believe young people don’t have jobs and they idle, and then they got so much guns in the island. You know when people idle how it gon get.”
He added that tensions in the community are running high, and many residents feel abandoned.
“People don’t care what going on in the Pine,” he said. “The Pine have nuff tension that people don’t know nothing ’bout.”
When Barbados TODAY visited Gooding’s family home, relatives were too distraught to speak. But others in the area said the tragedy reflects deeper social issues that continue to fester.
“No one in the community will talk about what happened, but if nobody talks, these things will keep happening,” one resident said.
Member of Parliament for St Michael South East, Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, described the shooting incident as “a heartbreaking reminder of the senseless violence that continues to tear through our communities.”
Speaking to Barbados TODAY, she said, “My thoughts are with the family and friends of Chrishon and especially his daughter who will celebrate her second birthday in a few days. She is yet another child who will grow up without the presence of her father as a result of gun violence.
“This incident, like many others, has occurred in the presence of children whose innocence has been shattered and whose lives have been forever changed by these senseless acts of violence. Our children should not have to grow up in fear and no parents should have to explain this kind of tragedy.”
The MP noted that such incidents continue to impact the perception of others towards the Pinelands community “and also negatively impacts the perception of those living in the community about the environment in which they live despite so many positive examples of those who have achieved success in various fields from the same community.”
She added, “Cooperation with the police is an essential part of solving crime. Police outposts and cameras alone will not bring an end to gun violence. I would encourage residents to cooperate with the Barbados Police Service not just when incidents like this occur but to help them to root out the negative influences within our communities.”
louriannegraham@barbadostoday.bb
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