Police officials have confirmed that a Guardsman security guard who was shot during a robbery in Balata, Castries on Friday afternoon (Oct. 18), is dead.
Police said he has been identified as Paul Bruce of La Clery, Castries.
The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. at a gas station in Balata.
Police have also confirmed that the security guard’s firearm was stolen during the incident.
According to reports, the security guard was shot in the back of the head before the gas station was robbed of an undisclosed sum of cash.
“The guys went there to kill, immediately on arrival one shot the guard in the head and another was standing at the door in mask holding a long handgun,” one person wrote on social media.
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Another said: “There was talk they stole his handgun as well, I wouldn’t be surprised that they killed him just for the gun let alone rob the gas station.” Police have confirmed that the guard’s occupational firearm was stolen.
A frequent customer told St. Lucia News Online that Bruce always “sits upstairs the other building looking down at the gas station”.
“Looks like the robbers were watching him and as he probably came down they shot him from behind. He probably didn’t even check what’s going on,” the source said. “He does be upstairs the building next to the gas station. I don’t know if he was there and when he came down they shot him or he was making rounds.”
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Reports from other sources indicate that after hearing the explosion, an employee decided to investigate, thinking initially that children were bursting bamboo.
When the worker got to the door, he reportedly saw the gunmen and immediately tried to close the door, but they still managed to get inside.
At least two of the robbers were armed — one with a “pump rifle,” one source told St. Lucia News Online.
“They asked him (worker) for the money, he gave them what was in the register and they asked for the rest like they knew what was there,” the source said.
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