And while Tanga was put to rest this weekend, the family of 32-year-old Ernest Staine is getting ready to bury him after he was fatally shot in Seine Bight. The incident occurred around 12:30am on Sunday - well past curfew hours - while Staine was socializing with two others at Gee Bar. But according to Staine's sister, the gunman knew exactly who he was after, and didn't leave until he had gotten his target. Courtney Menzies has this story.
It was during curfew hours, early Sunday morning, when 32-year-old Ernest Staine was gunned down in Seine Bight, and another man, 30-year-old Alrick Munnings, was shot in the neck. They were reportedly at Gee Bar, along with the bar's owner, when they were attacked. According to Staine's sister, the gunman had come on an execution mission.
Shelmadine Jones, Sister of Deceased
"He doesn't fool with people, he's from work to home, home to work. He doesn't trouble people. So I don't know why they would want to kill them. I tell everybody I would want to ask that person, why? Why? What did my brother do to him to make him kill my brother because he can't say he took my brother for somebody because when he done shot my brother, the first shot, my brother dropped to the ground, they said he walked over him and finished him so it wasn't like they were taking him for somebody."
"7 years now my brother came out of jail, 7 years now he didn't go back, from he come out, he work and work, he doesn't fool with anybody because he said it's friends that made him go to jail. So from then he hasn't been in any problem with anybody."
"When I get the call about after 1, I was sleeping and I got up and my sister-in-law call me, I heard the pone ringing and I got up and I answer he phone and she tell me they called her and told her they shot my brother. I said, stop tell lie, she said yes it's true, I said no man, she said yes, I told her no, it can't be. She said yes. I just fling away my phone and I start cry. From then I haven't really slept good and I can't eat, because that was my oldest brother, I'm the only girl my ma have. He was my protector, anything happen, I go to him."
And with her protector gone, the family is now depending on the police to bring justice. And while they're on the case, the communications officer explained that the incident could have been avoided if the victims hadn't breached curfew.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"It's a repeated problem, especially in these rural communities where our police officers are stretched thin doing their patrols, people take advantage of it, they still are out during curfew hours as if there is no curfew, they make themselves easy target because at that time there is minimal movement in the streets so of course if you have problem with someone else, then there's not much hindrance that would cause your so-to-speak enemy to find you during curfew hours."
And Staine's killer had indeed found him, forcing him to leave behind his common-law wife and 8-year-old step daughter.
Police have no motive for this murder, but are seeking one suspect.
