The tranquil community of East End is again in the spotlight following the recent murder of Sven Connor, and those who call it home say it’s not the kind of attention they want.
”East End was never like this,” said one resident on Saturday, as he sat next to his friend on a stoop along Seaview Road, mere metres from the scene of Connor’s murder Thursday night.
The man, who spoke with the Cayman Compass under the condition of anonymity given the nature of Connor’s killing, said the community has been shaken by the events that unfolded Thursday night.
“Things are not the same in East End. We don’t know the people coming up here anymore. Things like this don’t happen here and I hope that’s it,” he said.
His friend nodded in agreement, adding that when he first heard the shots “we thought it was fireworks, because they send up fireworks there”.
However, he said he was scared after learning was gunfire.
“Of course I’m worried for my community. I’m not coming out after 6 now,” he said, shaking his head.
Community concerned
On Saturday, police confirmed Connor’s identity as the man who was shot multiple times in a house off Seaview Road shortly before 10pm.
One arrest was made in the 42-year-old’s murder, police confirmed Sunday.
Connor’s murder, as well as the recent discovery of the remains of missing Jamaican national Adrian Williamson, have left the community on edge.
The elderly men say the home they knew is changing, and not for the better.
Connor grew up in East End. The elderly men said they knew him well, adding that they were not surprised when they heard he had been shot.
A group of ladies, who had gathered at a home along Seaview Road, agreed as they said Connor, who had a criminal record, was known in the neighborhood.
”I know his mother… it’s a sad situation,” one lady said, adding she would prefer to have her name omitted from her interview.
Hoping for the best
She said she is worried the shooting will not be a one-off incident.
Another lady in the group, who was reading a newspaper at the time, paused to say, “I’m very scared, I won’t be coming outside my house after dark. You just never know.”
Though there was agreement that having a greater police presence in the area could help, the lady said they should not only drive through, but stop and get out into the community.
The ladies, like the men sitting on the stoop, say they hope the community returns to the peaceful place they know and love.
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