It has been almost six weeks since what is believed to be Cayman’s first mass shooting.
Since then, the blood-stained pavement at the Ed Bush Stadium has been washed clean by passing rains.
An overgrown hedge, behind which the shooter hid as he ambushed his victims, has been trimmed back.
New and additional CCTV cameras have been installed, and security officers now roam the grounds in greater numbers.
But despite the upgrades to the facilities, not much more visible progress has been made.
Arrests but no charges
On 1 March, five days after the 25 Feb. shooting, police arrested their first suspect, a 24-year-old West Bay man. The following day a 26-year-old man, also of West Bay, was arrested.
Then on Sunday, 11 March, the third and final suspect, a 21-year-old West Bay man, was arrested and taken into custody for questioning.
All three men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and all have since been released on police bail, while investigations continue – much to the dismay of many in the community.
Police Commissioner Kurt Walton, in announcing the release of the first two men, said the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service appreciated the public’s concern regarding the granting of bail to persons suspected of being involved in such “a serious crime, even with restrictions such as electronic monitoring.
“But we ask for patience as we continue the investigative process, and as we follow a number of leads. We reaffirm our commitment to bringing those responsible to justice while ensuring the safety of everyone in our community.”
As for the victims, they have all been released from hospital, with some having made a full physical recovery.
Fears subdued, games rebound
The fear and anxiety that plagued parents in the aftermath of the shooting have been subdued by the heartwarming sights of peewee footballers scoring goals then striking a pose, on weekday evenings at the stadium.
At nights players return to practice, and during the weekend men and women premier league matches continue.
When Cayman Compass visited the Ed Bush Stadium a few weeks after the shooting, parents were in the stands with cell phones in hand, recording their children’s progress and cheering as if they were contesting a final.
“This incident helped to centre us. You know it easy for us to get busy with life and work and just drop them off, especially when you have multiple children and you are juggling between football and ballet,” said a father of two, who asked not to be named.
He told the Compass that in wake of the shooting his children’s club has been very proactive, quick to provide age appropriate guidance for all the kids on how to process and deal with news of the shooting.
“As a parent I know this was something way out of their control, but I am truly happy with how they have responded,” said the father. “It is just sad to think that this is where we as a people have come.”
The cleared area by the hedge now provides a clear vantage point to the parameters of the pitch’s outer borders. Not all fields have been upgraded to date, though.
In the meantime, the search for the gunman continues, with the as-yet unclaimed $250,000 reward offered by the government for any information leading to the successful arrest and/or prosecution of the shooter.
Related Videos
Another way to HELP with this is to become our brother’s keeper, help raise the children in our village; those with financial resources can become more integrated with those who are poor and struggling, as one correlation that can never be displaced is “poverty breeds crime breeds poverty”.
This should not be misunderstood as “the reason for this shooting is/was poverty”. But until we address the issues that lead to criminal activity, we will have incidents such as these and many other others to deal with, through a criminal system in which many started with petty crime and many were at juvenile detention before moving on to these calibres of crimes.
Intercede. Intervene. HELP.
And we will all live in a healthier society.