18-year-old gunned down in St Joseph

THE relative of an 18-year-old man who was gunned down in St Joseph on the evening of December 23 is urging the government to create more opportunities for young men in an effort to address the country’s spiralling murder toll and crime rate.

He also insisted that his loved one was an innocently murdered.

Rafael Gobin of Hutton Street was gunned down while liming with his 26-year-old friend, who was also wounded in the incident on December 23.

Police said around 5.10 pm Gobin and another man were liming in a yard when a silver Toyota Fielder wagon pulled up and two gunmen came out.

They shot at Gobin and the other man, hitting both. Gobin died at the scene, while the other man was taken to hospital.

Police received information of the shooting at 5.18 pm and found Gobin with multiple gunshot wounds to his body.

The male relative spoke to the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James on December 24.

He claimed that Gobin died for his friend, who he believed was the intended target.

"Is not he they come for, they come for his friend. The friend ran and my...dead today."

He said he had nothing bad to say about Gobin, as he was a down-to-earth and quiet child.

"A real cool, innocent lil chile. If someone interfere with him, you'll see a different side of him, but other than that, if you look for him, he sleeping."

The male relative said Gobin lived with his family, who live in an extended family compound. Gobin was employed part-time as a maintenance worker at the Queen's Park Oval.

"He worked with my cousin there. The work had stop and they was going back out in January.

"He now get his NIS card and these things."

The male relative said Gobin was not in any gangs or a gang member.

He hoped the police could provide swift justice for Gobin, before year-end.

"I hoping something come out of this, not next year. This year!"

He blamed the government for the out-of-control crime situation.

"Most people can't get jobs. That is why you'll see youths robbing this person and holding up this one or breaking in someone house.

"The government about themselves and not about the people. The only time they care about the people is for election time."

He said the more opportunities that are created, the more the crime rate will drop.