A 13-year-old child whose last act in life was to watch a neighbourhood netball match, lay in an ornate, custom-made casket at the centre of the 5 000-capacity Wildey Gymnasium on Wednesday, a tragic symbol of a pandemic of gun violence and brazen slayings.
And on the very day Shawnathon Chase was laid to rest, another young life was placed in danger as gunmen opened fire on Beckwith Street, St Michael. However, accoding to lawmen, his injuries were not life-threatening.
Tears fell, and anguished cries echoed throughout the indoor sports facility that was the centre of national grief as family, friends, and citizens mourned Chase.
Chase, a former pupil of Milton Lynch Primary who was halfway through second form at The Lodge School, was killed in late March, sending shockwaves through his Silver Hill, Christ Church community. He was eulogised as a student of quiet strength and vibrant spirit.
His primary school principal, Tyrone Marshall, said: “If only we knew that just around life’s corner, we would be seeing you no longer, we at the Milton Lynch Primary would have expressed our love for you so much stronger—you, with your quiet strength, infectious laughter . . . we would have let you know more passionately that though so unassuming, what a positive difference to our school you were making.”
Marshall noted that Chase faced every challenge head-on.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley offers condolences to Shawnathon Chase’s parents, Shawn and Zabida Chase. (SB)
“Shawnathon, your life, though short, was so impactful, and even in your departure, you have given us a potent reminder to never miss the opportunity to express and show love one for another.
“The Lodge School, and dare I say Barbados, will miss the contribution that Shawnathon could have made, the parent he could have become,” said the St John school’s Principal, Stephen Jackman. “I know for sure we have missed and will continue to miss that pleasant smile and demeanour that greeted us each day. We will miss the simple little things he got up to; the pranks, the jokes, the laughter. We will hold you in that special place in our hearts that is reserved for those who are dear to us.”
During the service, the choirs of Milton Lynch and The Lodge honoured Chase with moving musical tributes. They also joined Lodge School old scholar Senator John King on stage to perform his 1996 lament to a bygone era of violence, How Many More, whose haunting lyrics resonated with attendees, moving many to tears.
“This is a wound that no one should have to bear,” said Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who was visibly moved. “It is bad enough for a parent to have to bury a child, but in circumstances such as this, it is beyond acceptable.”
Mottley urged families to allow themselves space to heal.
She said: “I want you to give yourself and your family that space and that understanding that you need in order to heal. Shawnathon would not want the rest of you to continue to carry a burden, as you continue to move forward in your lives, that would make it impossible for you to equally appreciate the small and large things of life. That does not mean that you would not remember him, because you would never forget him, it does not mean you will cease loving him . . . but it does mean you have to find a space and a place to heal.”
The prime minister also referred to King’s nearly 30-year-old How Many More, saying the current wave of gun-related crime affecting the country cannot be dealt with by law enforcement alone.
“I want all Barbadians to recognise that this is not a battle for the police alone, this is not a battle for the government alone, this is a battle for each and every one of us,” she declared.
“If Shawnathon’s life is to stand for something, as I said the morning after he passed, then there are few things that need to happen. I thank the police for their swift work, and it is not for us to determine innocence or guilt, that is for the courts . . . . But beyond that, it is for the rest of us — [because] a gun does not walk or talk — if you see a gun, youngsters, stay away from the gun and anybody who has guns around you.
“Grandmothers, do not let anybody bring a gun into your house and hide it under the hats, or push it into the back of a kitchen cupboard. Boyfriends or girlfriends, do not let anybody leave a gun at your house and push it among the clothes.”
She added: “It is in these small things that we would honour Shawnathon’s life and all who went before who should not have gone before, because of the tragic use of guns.”
Chase was caught in the crossfire as gunmen opened fire while he was watching a netball game on a hard court in Silver Sands.
It was not long before his funeral ended that police were called to Beckwith Street where gunshots rang out during an altercation between two men.
According to Acting Inspector Ryan Brathwaite, “one of those shots penetrated a house along the roadway, injuring a young male in the process”.
“He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he is now undergoing treatment. All reports indicate that the injury is not life-threatening.”
Inspector Brathwaite did not give the identity or name of the individual, but Barbados TODAY understands the victim was a minor.
The senior officer appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any information that can assist in the police investigations to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-808-477, Police Emergency at 211, or the Criminal Investigations Department at 430-7189 or 430-7190.
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