Teen charged with murder

(CNS):  Updated — Following his arrest last week in connection with the fatal shooting of 21 year old Asher Williams McGaw, police have now charged 18 year old Chakame Jamelle Scott with murder. One week after a large scale police operation in East End when the young man was arrested in connection with the fifth killing in Cayman this year he was charged with murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. McGaw’s body was found lying in the road close to the East End district clinic, by police who were on patrol in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, 22 September.  Scott appeared in summary court on Tuesday afternoon (11 October) where his case was transmitted to the Grand Court where he will appear on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Cayman27)

McGaw, as was the case in all five recent gang related homicides, had been shot several times and left for dead in John McLean Drive.  The twenty one year old man was the fifth victim of a spate of gang related violent shootings and what the police have dubbed assassination like killings which occurred last month.

The first three of the five victims gunned down over an eight day period were killed in West Bay but the violence split over in to George Town and eventually East End. Robert Bush, Andrew Baptise and Preston Rivers were all shot multiple times including at least one gunshot to the head.

Jason Christian also received at least one gunshot wound to the head and several others to the body when he was shot and killed while sitting in a van in Crew Road. His passenger Kevin Montague was also shot during the same incident but despite receiving four gunshot wounds managed to stagger to a nearby police car where he was rushed to hospital. Montague has so far survived the attempted murder and is still receiving treatment overseas.

McGaw was the last victim in the frightening escalation of gun related killings and he was believed to have been shot as he walked along the road in his home district but killers who were inside a vehicle.

So far no details of the crown's case against Scott, who is represented by defence attorney Lucy Organ, have been revealed and the teen was remanded in custody after his appearance as the magistrate indicated that he was unable to hear the bail application in summary court.

If anyone has any information which could assist the police in relation to this enquiry, or other gun related matters in the Cayman Islands, they should call the confidential tip-line 949-7777 or Crime Stoppers 800-8477 (TIPS).