The Major Crime Unit of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) is investigating a fatal shooting incident that occurred in the community of Mahaut on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
According to Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Inspector Fixton Henderson at about 10:50 PM, two men were shot while they were sitting on a flight of steps outside a bar on the Western side of the EO Leblanc Highway in Mahaut.
“Antonio James 36 years old of Mahaut sustained multiple gunshot wounds, he was examined on the scene and pronounced dead by a medical doctor,” Inspector Henderson stated.
He continued, “Lester Esprit aged 54 also of Mahaut is a patient at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital (DCFH) having also sustained gunshot injuries as a result of the incident.”
The police are asking anyone with information about this incident to call 911 or the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at 266-5164, 5165, 5157, 5119 or 5185. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.
This shooting incident come just one week after the shooting death of 46-year-old Alan Birmingham who resided in Castle Bruce.
Eyebrows raised as court grants man on major gun charges bail of $10,000
The State felt deflated as High Court Judge Colin Williams granted bail of $10,000 to Dylan Shillingford who was arrested and slapped with seven (7) offenses. Possession of two illegal pistols (handguns) possession of illegal ammunition while not holding a firearms and ammunition license and trafficking of cannabis.
Shillingford of York Valley in Layou was arrested last month (June) and charged by the police. Magistrate Michael Laudat denied his bail application.
At the bail application in the High Court, the state opposed bail on two grounds stating that Shillingford was a dual citizen had strong ties to the US was a flight risk, and had only returned to Dominica in 2018.
The State also argued that “it was not in the public’s interest to grant him bail, given the prevalence of firearms-related matters and that just two days before the bail application there was a shooting death, hence a strong message had to be sent to the public since the court is obligated to protect the public.”
The State also put forward several case laws and spoke about the two-gun amnesty that was given to allow persons with illegal firearms and ammunition to surrender without being prosecuted.
The State also spoke about the seriousness of the offenses and the overwhelming evidence in the matter. One of the charges is possession of a prohibited weapon which can get a custodial sentence of up to 15 years if found guilty.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) told the court that if bail was to be granted, it should impose a hefty bail sum given the number of firearms and ammunition involved.
After listening to both sides and the arguments presented Justice Williams granted bail to Shillingford for $10,000.00