Gunshot injury in GT house
(CNS): A 44-year-old woman was injured by a gunshot Monday night, May 25, while she was in her home on Orange Drive, George Town. The victim was hit by a bullet near her ear and was treated at hospital for non-life threatening injuries. At around 9:40pm, the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call from a woman reporting that her mother had been injured by a bullet. The woman told operators she had been with her mother in the sitting room of their home when they heard an explosion and her mother cried out in pain. The woman said it appeared a bullet had come through the back window and hit her mother.
Police and medics responded to the scene and found that the victim had been hit by a bullet near her ear. She was taken to hospital for treatment to non-life threatening injuries. Scenes of Crime officers processed the scene and a full area search was carried out.
Detectives from George Town CID are investigating the incident and ask anyone who was in the area at the time to get in touch. Anyone who can help should contact CID on 949-4222. Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Category: Headline News
FoundAClue, you iguana murderer!!! Harmless creatures being slaughtered for your sport, disgusting! That 10 seconds of "Yahoo, I hit it!" means a lifetime of being dead for the iguana. Too bad they can’t shoot back. Maybe they should be hunting you. Tough guy – killing a little lizard. Pumps you right up I bet.
The problem rests with people who habitually disregard the rules; ie. the unlicensed firearms crowd, and neighbourhood drug barons, through which there are untold caches of weapons smuggled in among us by way of "fishing vessels". The RCIP Marine Police needs to search every locker on every vessel coming in from over 20 miles offshore 24/7 – perhaps 5-10 vessels/day, being mindful that these vessels do not check in and check out at the Port Authority during regular business hours.
We are halfway there. Currently there is the hardware to do it (millions spent on shiny new boats), just missing the man power, and political will. A proper Police helicopter, like the Eurocopter the RCIP already owns, could help locate and intercept these vessels in choppy seas. Operationally and socially this action is costly.
From a social perspective, there must be many well-entrenched people in these islands that rely upon the drug trade for their livelihood and would rather not see this happen. If you cut off their income, there might be more violence in the form of drug wars, unemployment, or other consequences for the islands. Is Cayman willing to take that next step? I would be. Call the Anonymous Crimestoppers Line in Miami if you see anything suspect.
For those who demand a Firearms Law with teeth, there is one, and here is the latest post-IVAN ammendment:
Firearms Law (OCT05): The current law imposes a minimum sentence of 10 years for persons convicted of importing,exporting, possession or use of a "firearm". The term "firearm" is defined widely to include air pistols, air guns, and any component part of any such weapon and ammunition. The Law also initiated new offences with regard to the unauthorized importation and possession of bullet-proof vests. These new offences will carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of $100,000.
Someone shoots another person, ban all the guns. Fight at a club? Shut down the clubs. Machetes during crimes of passion? Let’s ban those too. How about we start thinking and accept the fact that people are not machines and our behaviour cannot so easily be predicted and controlled. With all the DUIs and hit and runs, why haven’t we banned and shipped all the cars off the island yet? Of course, because we all need them to get to work right? The same way you learn to accept that there will be casualties with one thing, you can realize that any person who wants to be violent will find a way no matter the means. I agree with reporting what you see, there is a procedure in place but it’s your own fault if you don’t come forward and report it. Banning guns wont help because it’s not like you walk down the street and wonder, hey is that a legal or illegal gun he is flashing around there? Guns that are being smuggled in now, would continue to be smuggled in after a ban and you wont ever see them around.
The only thing a ban solves is to keep the poor farmers from shooting the parrots … and me from target practicing on those pesky green iguanas. But I guess I would still be able to take them out using my car so, have at it.
Rita Myles – how are you so sure this is a young person?
Wow. Thank God it wasn’t fatal.
Well there you have it, Cayman is no more paradise, all the good old folks have passed on, and the young, is the generation of vipers they used to talk about. Shape up! Young people! What y’all need is a good olde ass whooping, the old people used to talk about! Parents stay on your kids! You know something its about time the cayman island need to start to have a curfew around here for the younger folks. Anytime after ten o’ clock they should all be at home, the parents should be help responsible.
"If we start prohibiting guns then perhaps we should prohibit machetes, knives, clubs etc. etc.. Its people that kill not weapons!!"
False argument – people do kill people, but they often use guns, machetes, knives, clubs etc to do so, and having them around gives rise to the added risk of unpremeditated use in crimes of passion or drunkenness, or by a criminal after stealing them etc.
If you don’t want to kill people, why do you need a gun? To go to the shooting range and practice killing people so when the need arises you are really good at it?
A machete serves a useful purpose beyond killing people, but unfortunate events even here show that a machete in the wrong hands can result in death. Having a machete gives rise to a risk but a justifiable risk given that it is also a useful tool. Notwithstanding, it is dangerous and needs to be kept safely stowed, away from criminals, drunks, people on temper tantrums, etc.
A gun? That just needs to be melted down.
Further, were your argument correct everyone who can establish that they have not been a criminal in the past should be able to "strap on a 40" when they go to town. Would you feel comfortable if everyone you saw had a Glock in their belt? Of course not. Someone stupid might get their hands on it and shoot a poor woman in the ear, or worse.
To the person who said this, "Children walking to school through a war zone of drive-by shootings."
Please stop exagerrating so much…you sound like you have little to no sense!
If we start prohibiting guns then perhaps we should prohibit machetes, knives, clubs etc. etc.. Its people that kill not weapons!!
Well I have a solution just simply as others have said lock up anyone found in possession of a firearm for no less than 10 years those with multiple well 10 years per weapon!! Those wanna be "gangsters" any of them caught firing or carrying a weapon lock them up for 20 years or just leave two bullets in them simple bet enough youths will straighten up then!!
Why does Cayman tolerate guns at all, licenced or otherwise? Just prohibit every last one of them (except for the police) and make a rule: have a gun, go to jail, no exceptions.
Make it 3 years to start, more if there is an additional crime in volved (maybe 10 years for a crime involving a gun, to start). That’ll keep people’s attention. Gun crimes = the end of a normal life, go straight to prison (a real one, not the vacation farm), then grow old there.
Guns serve one purpose: killing. No need for any of that here (and don’t tell me that the farmers need guns to shoort the parrots – that just sucks).
Near her ear – OMG she is really lucky! That bullet was just millimeters away from killing her.
Pretty soon we will be like Spanish Harlem or Kingston where nobody can go near the window of their house.
Crimstoppers is a must! Personally I report any problems – including drunk drivers. We cannot let these criminals take over!
Don’t turn a blind eye – because any crime on an Island this small is literally just 10-15 mins away from YOUR own house and it wont take much for the criminal to select your house or family to prey on. So, please do not pretend or act like -"oh that’s over there" – its just outside your door.
I am so sad for my Islands.
Suggestion for Police!
Here is a suggestion for the police and government. ALL firearms on the islands that are licensed should have a ballistic fingerprint done on them, so IF there are stray bullets flying around or something happens to a person, they can easily match the weapon by this ballastic fingerprint.
I understand this will not help illegal weapons, but it might very well help in a majority of cases. Those with illegal weapons should be prosecuted to the very fullest if found.
If you know someone with an unlicensed firearm, please call crimestoppers – they face 10 years just for possessing a gun or bullets. The problem is that the community tolerates and harbours these criminals.
The law needs to stop being so lenient against gun offenders. Anybody found carrying or possesing an unlicensed weapon should receive a non-negotiable prison term of at least 5 years. There is no excuse for needing a weapon in these islands and anybody carrying one is obviously intending to cause harm to some other person, therefore the police should charge them as if they had already committed that crime.
Its time customs began clamping down on smuggled weapons instead of just bullying families receiving gifts for the childrens xmas presents into paying extra taxes. At the same time Police should start clamping down on violent crimnals and not people who forget to put their seatbelt on.
God help us all
This is just the start – of innocent people getting hit by stray bullets.
Pretty soon it will be burglar bars going up on all buildings.
Children walking to school through a war zone of drive-by shootings.
Wishing a speedy recovery to the victim – and God help us all.