Barbados Today

The country’s latest murder has left a City neighbourhood in dread.

This afternoon around 3 o’clock as the students of St Mary’s Primary School were homeward-bound, just metres away the lifeless body of Travis Ojay Brambles was found in a car in Spencer’s Gap, Baxter’s Road. The 28-year-old resident was discovered slumped in the driver’s seat.

As a large crowd converged on the scene, Inspector David Welch told the media that about 3:15 p.m. police received reports of gunshots in the area. Upon responding, officers found the deceased. He said it is believed Brambles died from gunshot injuries, but this was yet to be confirmed and investigations were continuing.

Sabrina Daisley, mother of two students of the neighbouring school, told Barbados TODAY she feared for her children after the incident. She said that when she heard the news of the murder she rushed to the school because one of her daughters  was still on the compound, along with other Class 4 students preparing for the Common Entrance Exam.

”I was real frighten . . . and she tell me ’bout it; that she hear [the gunshots] and that she frighten. So, yea, I concerned because it happen so near [to] the school and they still had children ’bout there,” she said, adding that it wasn’t the first such gun-related incident close to the institution.

Today’s murder was the fourth for 2014 and the third gun-related.

Inspector Welch stressed that the Police Force was extremely concerned about these numbers. The police public relations officer said: “Any time we have issues regarding the use of firearms, we believe this is a concern; not only for the force, but for Barbadians. I believe the Commissioner would have spoken to this recently, and we obviously would be looking at this in more detail, and would issue a response in the near future.”

In related news, two men charged in connection with two of the murders this year were remanded to Dodds Prisons until March 19 when they appeared in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court today. Colin Hadley Reifer, 57, was denied bail on a charge that he killed his 46-year-old estranged wife Cheryl Bourne-Reifer. Her body was found in her alleged killer’s home at Sunset Drive North, Fort George Heights, St Michael, on Saturday.

Also refused bail was 20- year-old Akeem Jamar Forde of Pleasant Hall Housing Area in St Matthias, Christ Church. He was accused of killing Torian Earl on January 28. Earl was said to be standing with a group of people in Kensington New Road in The City when he was shot in the head.