A Guyanese woman is now clinging to life in a hospital in Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI), following an attack by gunmen that claimed the life of two people, including her 11-year-old daughter.
Romona Moses is a critical patient at the Peebles Hospital, where she was admitted after the attack in which the vehicle she was travelling in came under fire from two gunmen on Wednesday night.
The mother and daughter were both passengers in the vehicle, which was being driven by islander Franklyn Penn, who was also killed in the shooting.
A press statement from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) said the vehicle was on the West End Public Road, around 9.30 pm, when men on two scooters rode up and fired shots into the vehicle and then fled.
The child was in the backseat, while her mother was in the front passenger seat.
Both Trinity Moses and Franklyn Penn were subsequently pronounced dead on arrival at the Peebles Hospital.
Commissioner of Police Michael Matthews on Thursday called on the public to aid in identifying the perpetrators.
“I believe that there are many in our community who are equally shocked, saddened and disgusted by this cowardly act and even more so that an innocent child was among the victims. More so, that there are people who live among us who would carry out such a contemptable act. My hope is that those who know the individuals responsible within this community will chose to speak out and not allow these perpetrators one more day of freedom than they deserve. Help us to identify these persons who carried out this heinous act,” Matthews was quoted as saying in the RVIPF statement.
The recent deaths bring the murder toll in the BVI to 10 for 2017.
Gun violence is growing in the BVI and the increase has been attributed to the porous borders of the territories. The recent devastation wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria has further compromised security as has extensive power outages.
