Detectives were seen on Beacon Hill Road Thursday afternoon.
~ Tourist remains in deep coma ~
PHILIPSBURG–The tourist shot at the entrance of Beacon Hill Road in the vicinity of Driftwood Bar at approximately 11:00pm Wednesday is a Canadian national who was vacationing on island with his middle-age daughter.
According to police, the victim S.V. was stabilized by the doctors at St. Maarten Medical Center for him to be able to be flown abroad on Thursday to receive further medical treatment.
According to initial reports, the victim was walking with his daughter when an unidentified man attacked them with a loaded gun, demanding money and grabbing her bag. At that point, the father stepped in to protect his daughter and after a brief struggle, he was shot in the back of the head and left on the ground while the assailant drove off in a KIA Picanto.
In a joint statement on Thursday evening, Minister of Tourism Stuart Johnson and Justice Minister Cornelius de Weever united in their condemnation of Wednesday night’s shooting incident, calling it “a senseless act of violence.”
The Ministers joined the call by local authorities for the community at large to provide any information that would lead to the swift arrest of the perpetrator of this crime.
De Weever said, “The investigation of the events on June 5 in the Beacon Hill area of St. Maarten continue with the highest level of priority from the Ministry of Justice. We fully intend to prosecute those responsible for this senseless act of violence and for compromising the peaceful and friendly nature of St. Maarten. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their family.”
Johnson said, “My thoughts and prayers are with the relatives and friends of the victim. This was a senseless act of violence perpetrated against another human being, which we will not tolerate. The people of our country have always been friendly, hospitable and welcoming. We will continue to keep these as our guiding principles.
“Meanwhile, as the details of this incident continue to unfold, we are working assiduously to ensure the perpetrators of this crime are brought to swift justice. Our home in St. Maarten is a haven for all to live and visit, and we take seriously any acts of violence.”
“This isolated incident saddens us, and we, as the representatives of St. Maarten’s tourism sector, are dedicated – together with the Ministry of Justice and the private sector – to do everything in our power to find this assailant and bring him to justice,” said St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Director May-Ling Chun.
Police are requesting the assistance of members of the community who may have been in the area of the incident in Beacon Hill around 11:00pm to contact the Robbery Department, tel. +1-721-556-7498. The caller can speak on basis of anonymity to a police officer who in turn will guide the caller through the process of giving his or her information.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/88109-update-ministers-condemn-violent-robbery
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