Another shooting incident has left the Sayes Court, Christ Church community in shock and fear.
Gunshots rang out in the vicinity of the community play park and the Government nursery, prompting residents to decry the increasing violence in Barbados and the risk to which innocents were being exposed.
While no one was injured, the incident left staff at the nursery shaken, with parents called to pick up their children. (CA)
A woman and a child jumped from a rooftop to escape a mass shooting in Louisiana, where authorities say a father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own.
Officials said they were alerted to the gun attack in the city of Shreveport at 05:55 CDT (10:55 GMT) on Sunday. The caller reported they were “on top of the house” while the suspect remained inside.
Police did not identify the survivors, or disclose their connection to the attacker, but said both were in a stable condition.
The suspect died following a gun battle with officers, though it remains unclear whether he took his own life or was killed by police.
Two adult women, including the children’s mother, were also hurt by gunfire, and both were recovering in hospital, police said. A ninth child was taken to hospital after jumping from the roof of the home while escaping.
Among the eight children killed in the shooting – siblings and one cousin – were three boys and five girls. They ranged in age from 3 to 11, according to the Caddo Parish coroner’s office.
Their mothers identified the children as Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5, officials said.
Recalling the chain of events on Monday, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said that within minutes of the initial emergency call, the caller reported that “she and her children had fled from the roof and were now in the backyard”.
Minutes later, the gunman attacked another home, where a different emergency caller told police “that her boyfriend had shot her, taken her three children, and fled the scene”.
Shortly after the call, police received a report of a carjacking, and information that led them to believe that children taken from the second residence might be inside that vehicle.
At about 06:29, officers located the suspect and exchanged gunfire with him.
The suspect was found dead at the scene, with no children inside the car.
Police have not yet established a motive.
Chief Smith said the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, had a criminal history but did not provide further details.
“All evidence and indications are that this erupted as a domestic dispute,” he said, adding that the weapon used was described as “an assault-style weapon”.
It is not yet known how it was obtained.
Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist, but he was never deployed, US media report.
Jacob and Tiffany Castleman told KSLA, an affiliate of the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, that they heard a “barrage” as officers exchanged fire with the suspect.
“I knew that there was a full-blown shootout, something going,” Tiffany said. “Mind you, we had no clue the later incidents that happened, but I had just full terror.”
Jacob said his first thought was “there’s no way that that just happened behind our house”.
“I was just in total shock. It was just chaos,” he said.
Fred Montgomery, a neighbour, told CBS News on Sunday of his shock over the incident.
“The kids played in the yard every evening,” Montgomery said.
“Yesterday evening, [the suspect] was sitting on the porch, I waved at him, he waved back, the children were in the yard… and then this morning we woke up to all of this.”
Speaking on Monday, officials said that the community must do more to prevent domestic violence.
Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn noted that a new domestic violence centre had opened in the city just 10 days earlier, and that several of the leaders attending the news conference had also been at that event.
“I don’t believe that any of us could have imagined that only days later our community would be shaken by the most heart-breaking tragedy we have ever witnessed,” he said.
Police added they were aware of reports that the suspect had been going through a divorce and was due in court on Monday. The investigation is continuing. (BBC News)
Police are investigating the death of the owner of a popular Black Rock, St Michael entertainment establishment.
The man was found dead in his car parked near Melbourne apartments on Black Rock Main Road last night.
More details as they come to hand.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating 34-year-old Akerbu Gabrielle Atkins of Eversley Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael, who was last seen on Sunday, April 19.
Atkins is described as approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, of brown complexion and stocky build, with small eyes, a large nose and ears, and thin lips. She has natural hair and two scars on her left arm.
At the time she was last seen, she was wearing a black T-shirt, black silk three-quarter pants and a pair of Crocs.
She is soft-spoken with a Barbadian accent and is known to frequent Brownes Beach.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Hastings/Worthing Police Station at 430-7608 or 430-7614, Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, or the nearest police station.
We know who you are and we are coming for you!
That was the promise of Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce to the cold-blooded killers who took three lives and gravely wounded another person during a sneak attack at a beachside lime on Sunday night.
“Turn yourselves in. Get a lawyer. Go to the nearest police station and surrender yourselves. Do it now. We know who you are. We know the circles you move in. We know what happened,” he stated.
The Commissioner’s six-minute address last night followed the shootings at Thunder Bay, St James, that shook the soul of the country. The top cop told the killers behind it that it would be better for them to give themselves up rather than face similar retaliatory actions.
Multiple shootings
The third multiple shootings for the year, which pushed homicides to 22, consumed the country with discussions on the radio, social media platforms and in person.
The culprits exited a silver-coloured vehicle and, in an explosion of gunfire, executed Lyle Robinson, 33, of 1st Avenue, Lower Carlton, St James, who was the brother of Darrian Robinson, 27, whose fatal shooting at the same Thunder Bay on October 11, 2023 brought the location, owned by the Anglican Church, to unwanted national attention. Darrian, a father of two, and the stepbrother of entertainer Hypasounds, was there attending a beach promotion.
Father Andy Robinson had the task of returning to Thunder Bay on Sunday for a second death scene, and despite being told there was hope, knew his son, a father of three, was gone.
Also dying was Jamar Ramsay, 33, of Brownes Gap, Sargeant’s Village, Christ Church. He was the brother of Jamal “Lappy” Ramsay, who died in August 2024 after being hospitalised following a motorcycle collision with an unmarked police vehicle.
The third victim was Jamar Edwards, 34, of 4th Avenue, Lower Carlton, St James.
Barbadians witnessed the heartbreaking aftermath of the shootings as recordings of the limp victims being rushed to the nearest medical facility surfaced on social media.
Reaction from those in authority was firm. Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley admitted the apparent state of war between certain gangs of young men had spiralled “completely out of control”. He warned: “Let the word go out that, from this moment, the police and other national security forces will be empowered to use every lawful means at their disposal to bring this unacceptable situation under control and bring it to an end.”
Boyce was not guessing about the “deliberate attempt to take out the leadership of one of the groups involved in violent criminal activities”.
Investigators spent the day combing the area, interviewing residents and pursuing leads.
In direct challenge to the criminals and their abettors, the Commissioner said: “To those who are helping them, hiding them, transporting them, housing them, passing messages or assisting them in any way, believe me when I say this – you will not be allowed to run rampant.
“The associates of those responsible will not be allowed to move across this country as though there are no consequences. There are consequences and those consequences will be serious.
“This is organised, dangerous violence that was carefully planned out without regard to people’s lives or the safety of the community. It creates fear. This nonsense must stop and we will work with all right-thinking Bajans to stop it.”
He warned against mistaking being calm for being passive.
“Every person who believes they can intimidate communities, challenge law enforcement and settle scores with gun violence must understand that we are coming after all those responsible. So again, to the men involved, this is your opportunity. This is your chance. Present yourselves to the police. Do not wait for us to find you because we are coming for you and the way these retaliations are going, it is better that it is us that come for you.”
Boyce told Barbadians that their fears and frustrations were understood, and police were on top of the situation and acting, but they must also assist.
“If you are sheltering anyone involved, stop and think very carefully about what you are doing. You are placing yourself on the wrong side of the law and the Barbados Police Service will deal with you accordingly. To those persons who think loyalty to violent groups is strength, it is not strength. It is destruction. It leads to prison. It leads to injury and regrettably, it leads to death. It leaves families grieving and communities traumatised. There is no honour in terrorising your neighbourhoods and leaving your families exposed.” (AC)
Popular streamer IShowSpeed is set to embark on a Caribbean tour, with Barbados among the destinations on his upcoming itinerary.
The tour is scheduled to begin on April 25 and will include stops in several territories across the region, including Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States Virgin Islands.
The online personality, known for his energetic live streams and viral content, has previously toured Europe, South America, China, Africa and North America, building a global audience through his travel-focused videos highlighting everyday life and innovation.
His growing international appeal has also drawn attention from government officials, and during a visit to Lima, he was named honorary mayor for an hour.
The Caribbean tour follows his recent appearance at WrestleMania, where he took part in a six-man tag team match involving Logan Paul. (Complex)
The Director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigel Chalk, says the Washington is “very concerned that tourism-dependent Caribbean economies are likely to be the hardest hit” as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that has so far resulted in high oil prices.
“Their debt is high, their fiscal space is small, and they’re quite large net energy importers, despite investments that have been made in these countries in shifting towards renewables.
“We also don’t know what the potential impact of this war and the shifts in energy prices may have on flights and on tourism. And so, that’s another thing that we’re keeping an eye on,” said Chalk.
Last Friday, the IMF said that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will register mix economic growth over the next two years, ranging from 3.1 per cent among the tourism dependent countries of the region to 19.1 per cent among the region’s commodity exporters.
The IMF said that the region overall will register average growth of 5.7 and 8.6 per cent for the years 2026 and 2027, Caribbean tourism dependent countries will register growth of 0.9 and 2.5 per cent over the next two years.
The non-dependent tourism countries will have growth of 7.9 and 11. 3 per cent over the 2026 and 2027 period, according to the IMF projections.
Among the tourism dependent countries of the Caribbean, Jamaica is expected to register minus 1.2 per cent growth this year, increasing to 3.1 per cent in 2027, the same as Grenada, which is expected to register the same percentage this year.
Antigua and Barbuda will record growth of 2.6 and 2.4 per cent over the next two years, while The Bahamas will register growth of 2.1 per cent this year, declining to 1.9 per cent in 2027, while Barbados growth will be 2.5 and 2.2 per cent .
Belize will register economic growth of 2.2 per cent this year, decreasing slightly to 2.1 per cent in 2027, while Dominica’s growth of 3.1 per cent this year, will decline slightly to 2.8 the following year.
The twin island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis will register growth of two per cent this year, increasing slight to 2.5 per cent the following year, while St. Lucia’s two per cent growth will decline to 1.7 per cent next year.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines will also register a decline in economic growth of 2.7 per cent in 2027, down from the three per cent this year.
Chalk said he believes several countries in the Caribbean have already started taking decisions to cushion the impact of the increased oil prices.
“I think several countries in the Caribbean already have mechanisms in place that smooth energy price increases so that not all of that energy price increase is passed through immediately,” he said, adding “that can buy a little bit of time in terms of how that feeds into the economy.
“But what we don’t want is for countries to permanently increase subsidies to energy. Those subsidies are untargeted; they benefit the rich more than they benefit the poor. And in the current environment, you can start that process, maybe with oil prices atUS$90, but you don’t know what oil prices will be three months from now.
“So, the size of the subsidies you may be creating over time could be quite large and quite unpredictable. So, we think trying to let the market mechanism work, that will allow individuals and firms to make decisions to reduce their demand for energy, and that in turn will put less pressure on the economy as we let the market system work.”
Chalk said that in terms of the migration to the US, the IMF does not see a downturn in the region.
“ We actually feel this region is quite aside, particularly aside from the Caribbean. But the region more broadly is quite well placed with decent fundamentals and some space, some fiscal space. So, we don’t see an economic downturn in our forecasts.
“We don’t think that’s going to precipitate a large migration wave. There are important issues related to migration for particular countries. We can think of Venezuela and Haiti, but I don’t think that sort of a sudden push of migration flowing northwards seems likely at this point,” he added. (CMC)
The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has voiced deep concern over the recent spate of gun violence across the island, including the fatal shooting in Thunder Bay, St James, and other incidents reported in communities from St Lucy to Christ Church.
Chairman Javon Griffith said the frequency of such incidents is beginning to feel like a “regular weekend occurrence,” warning that this trend poses serious implications for public safety and Barbados’ international reputation.
Below is the full statement:
The BHTA is deeply disturbed and profoundly saddened by the continued acts of senseless gun violence being witnessed across our island, including the latest tragic incident in Thunder Bay, St James, as well as other troubling occurrences spanning communities from St. Lucy to Christ Church.
What is perhaps most alarming is that these violent episodes are now beginning to feel like a regular weekend occurrence in Barbados. That is a reality which should concern every Barbadian, every visitor, and every stakeholder with an interest in the safety, stability and reputation of this country.
Barbados has long distinguished itself as a peaceful, welcoming and civilised destination. Our tourism industry and indeed our wider national economy, depends heavily on that reputation. Visitors choose Barbados not only for its beauty, hospitality and culture, but also because they believe they are travelling to a destination that is safe, orderly and well-managed. If this growing pattern of gun violence is not confronted expeditiously, decisively and effectively, it has the potential to erode confidence in our destination and place the future strength of our tourism industry at serious risk.
The BHTA therefore condemns, in the strongest possible terms, these acts of violence and extends heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, as well as all those communities traumatised by these incidents.
We acknowledge the work of the Barbados Police Service and all law enforcement personnel, but it is evident that a broader, more urgent and more coordinated national response is now required. This is not solely a policing matter. It is a societal issue that calls for leadership, enforcement, intervention, community engagement and sustained action at every level.
Barbados cannot afford to normalise gun violence. We cannot allow fear, lawlessness and indiscipline to gain further ground in our communities. Nor can we sit idly by while the image and integrity of our island are placed under increasing threat.
The time for decisive action is now. We urge the relevant authorities and all national stakeholders to treat this matter with the urgency it demands. The safety of our people must come first, and the protection of Barbados’ reputation as a safe and desirable destination must remain a national priority.
Three men have been identified following a fatal shooting at Thunder Bay, Lower Carlton, St James on Sunday night which left three people dead and another injured.
The deceased are Jamar Leron Edwards, 34 years, of 4th Avenue, Lower Carlton, St James; Lyle Anderson Robinson, 33 years, of 1st Avenue, Lower Carlton, St James; and Jamar Kareem Ramsay, 33 years, of Brownes Gap, Sargeants Village, Christ Church.
Police said the incident occurred around 8:42 p.m. when gunshots were reported in the area. Investigations indicate that a number of persons were gathered on the beach near a business establishment when three men exited a silver-coloured vehicle and opened fire, striking four males.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene by a medical doctor, while three others were transported by private vehicles for urgent medical attention. Two of those injured later succumbed to their injuries.
Investigations are ongoing.
Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, Police Emergency at 211, or the Holetown Police Station at 419-1700.
News of the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals returning to Kensington Oval after three years is hitting the right notes among some members of the calypso fraternity.
Not only that, the return of the Party Monarch and Sweet Soca competitions as well as Cohobblopot, as announced at Saturday’s launch of the 2026 Crop Over Festival at Hilton Barbados, has also evoked a positive response.
The festival’s events calendar on the National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) Facebook page schedules the premier contest for the Oval and not the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford, St Michael, as was done from 2023 to last year.
New president of the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes Barry Knight said “returning to the Oval “brings a sense of familiarity that artistes need”.
“It restores comfort, removes past uncertainties and creates the right environment for performers to thrive, bringing out the very best in every contestant.
“As it relates to the Party Monarch and Soca Monarch competitions, our members warmly welcome their return to Crop Over 2026.
“For years, our artistes have called for its revival, and this announcement is both timely and encouraging. It represents opportunity, visibility and renewed investment in our local talent. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the competition’s return truly benefits the creatives it was built to showcase,” Knight added.
Four-time Pic O De Crop monarch Ian iWeb Webster, who won crowns at both venues, told the DAILY NATION the Oval should offer more comfort to the artistes and patrons.
“The facility at Kensington Oval is a lot more conducive to proper management and logistics of the event, especially if there’s bad weather. I think that people generally prefer Kensington Oval, so for me, it’s twofold.
“I am absolutely happy that the [soca competitions] are back. I understand that they were trying to get money to push behind the artistes and move away from the whole competition aspect, but I figure – and I said this in a forum – that the NCF could walk and chew gum. You could do both. You can support the artistes and you can also facilitate the competitions for those persons who may not necessarily be getting gigs or performing here or there at different events,” Webster said.
While 2015 and 2019 monarch William Classic Waithe said he was “neither for or against the move” as he always does his best, Billboard Murrell said he was looking forward to competing at the Oval after doing so in 2018.
The 2023, 2024 and 2025 Pic O De Crop finalist noted it was a “different stage, a different atmosphere and a different vibe altogether”. He added he was “especially glad for the time in between” the announcement of the finalists and the competition night, as it allowed contestants to better prepare, unlike last year when there was a shorter period that impacted him as songwriter and arranger.
Frequent finalist Ronnie De Announcer Clarke said the Oval was “a tremendous venue” and he was grateful that it would be used once more, as the facilities were “infinitely better” for calypsonians and patrons. His tent manager, Julie Sealy of Shining Stars, agreed.
“I’m not saying that anything is wrong with Botanical Gardens, but there are some challenges at Botanical Gardens, especially if it rains, so Kensington is welcomed. I guess I can speak on everybody’s behalf that we welcome the return because we have been lobbying for it for a few years now, so we are elated,” she said.
Sealy also pointed out that people experienced challenges backstage at Waterford that they did not have at the Oval.
Eleanor Rice, manager of All Stars Calypso Tent, who said she was “doubly, triply, quadrupling happy about Cohobblopot” returning, added that “people should not have a fundamental problem” with the Oval owing to the existing infrastructure.
(GBM)
