At least seven people have been injured after a gunman opened fire at a Cayman Islands Premier League football match.
Spectators at the game, including families with young children, fled for the exit as the shooter ran down the touchline and fired at several people in the crowd at the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay.
One of the victims, who was shot three times, staggered into the tunnel and collapsed.
Witnesses described him calling out, “I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot, save me,” as a medic from one of the teams worked on him.
The shooting happened close to the changing rooms, just after 9pm, as the game between Elite SC and Academy paused for halftime.
Police confirmed that seven people were taken to hospital with what were described as “serious injuries” following the incident. All seven were said to be in stable condition. The Compass understands no players involved in the game were among the injured.
“Initial reports suggest it was a single shooter,” a 911 dispatch spokesperson told the Compass. No arrest had been made at press time Sunday and the scene had been cordoned off with the police helicopter circling.
Fans who witnessed the horrific ordeal firsthand recalled several loud pops in quick succession.
“There must’ve been 10 shots and everyone began running. I ran into the tunnel,” one witness told the Compass.
“The guy who got shot in the back fell right into the tunnel. He was still conscious but he was bleeding very heavily.”
As panic and fear spread through the crowd, another witness recalled the medic from Elite SC rushing to help save the life of the man who had collapsed in the tunnel.
“I saw as she ran over, and began treating him as best as she could,” he said.
He added, “The guy was shot twice, once in the back and then again in the side. He kept saying I got shot, I got shot, save me, save me.”
The witness continued, “One of the linesmen happened to be an off-duty officer with the firearms unit, so as the shooting started, he switched hats and began his detective work.”
As the crowd, which numbered in the hundreds, and included families with children and some elderly people, scrambled for the car park, another witness said she saw a young man with a blood-soaked hoodie walking nonchalantly among them.
“It looked almost like fake blood all over his back,” she recalled.
Word quickly went around the crowd that at least two men had been seriously wounded, one of them shot multiple times.
Another witness said that several other men, including people who had been involved in a previous game that evening, were grazed by the shots.
The players from Elite SC were seen carrying a gurney with one of the victims on it across the pitch to a waiting ambulance.
“We thought it was fireworks at first,” said another spectator. “Then we just ran for safety and waited for the police to arrive.”
‘This isn’t what Cayman is about’
Many who spoke to the Compass said they were shocked that the violence that has been plaguing Cayman’s community had burst onto such a public setting.
The shooting has left many shocked and angry, including one witness, who said, “This isn’t what Cayman is about.”
They added, “Elderly people were out there, parents with their kids. This is [expletive], man.”
Another echoed the sentiment, noting, “It is sad that this is happening in Cayman and for it to happen at a football match with families watching is even more troubling. Everyone was shocked.”
Meanwhile, dozens gathered at the hospital, awaiting news about those who were injured.
A police press release at 11:39pm confirmed the incident took place after 9pm on Sunday and that “police and other emergency services responded to a report of shots fired during a football match at Ed Bush”.
“Police have cordoned the scene, and there is increased police presence in the vicinity including the Firearms Response Unit… So far there have been no arrests in connection with the incident,” the statement added.
The Compass will continue to follow this developing story.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call 911 or the West Bay Police Station 949-3999.
Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via a confidential tip line at 949-7777, or via its website or through Cayman Crime Stoppers online.
Reporting from Seaford Russell Jr, James Whittaker and Andrel Harris.
Related Videos
I am all for civil liberty but this is getting out of hand. The police should start going into houses of known gang members and taking away guns
Up next – US State Department to issue travel warnings for Cayman Islands. It is heart breaking to see this island I love so much become the next Jamaica / Bahamas…. Of course – government officials will let this happen – focusing more on trivial issues instead of the single most important issue – crime. I recently received a survey asking what should be the most important issue for Cayman government to address and crime was not even on the list….
Is the safety of Cayman really over? That would be tragic. Please get rid of the guns and make the reality match the laws.