Pineapple farmer killed in Westmoreland gun attack was community’s ‘Good Samaritan’

Residents living in Bridgewater, Westmoreland, and Belfont district in St James, are remembering 38-year-old Lasharoo ‘Lenky’ Shaw, the popular pineapple farmer who was shot and killed at the conclusion of his party in Bridgewater on Sunday morning, as their community’s ‘Good Samaritan’.

Sheron Anderson, Shaw’s mother, said her son was a decent community member, who was well respected by many.

“He was a good type of person. Everybody talk highly about him. Very trying, love to help. If him no have it, him nuh have it, but from once him have it, him gwan give it to you,” Anderson said.

One eyewitness to the incident told The Gleaner he was still trembling in shock as he tried to recover from what he saw during the incident.

“Until now mi can’t believe seh Lenky dead, mi jus cah believe seh the man dem really killed him,” the eyewitness stated.

“Is like the party over, an all a wi deh yah a build a vibes, an Lenky dem a check off di money wha dem mek. Next ting wi si the white car pull up an the man dem jump out an start beat pure shot.

“Every man start run fi dem life. Mi frighten till mi run pass one a di man dem, but it look like him neva did have any gun, or else mi wud a dead right yah now, a dung inna the gully mi run go hide.”

The individual continued: “Lenky a real man inna the area. Him a nuh scammer, him a nuh gunman. Him just do him mason work and plant him pineapple, an’ a nuff youth him sen’ go school inna the are. Him a real Samaritan”

‘A loving person’

An elderly woman, who gave her name as Janett, told The Gleaner that Shaw will be missed by even the babies in the community.

“Well him kind, him loving. I never si that man wid a cigarette, nor a spliff, much less a knife,” Janett told The Gleaner.

“He was a loving person, very kind to everybody, him have a time wen him stop, him jus’ give all the school pickney dem money fi go a school, even the babies dem going to miss him.”

Reports from the Westmoreland police are that, about 9:30 a.m., Shaw, who had hosted a party at a jerk centre in Bridgewater earlier on Saturday night, and other men were carrying out auditing of the event when a white Toyota motor car pulled up.

Three men alighted from the vehicle and opened fire at the group, hitting Shaw and six other community members multiple times.

The gunmen made their escape in the waiting motor car and, when the police were called and arrived on the scene, the seven persons were discovered suffering from gunshot wounds.

They were rushed to hospital where Shaw was pronounced dead and the six other victims treated and admitted.

One investigator from the parish of Westmoreland told The Gleaner that, following the shooting, it was also discovered that all the money Shaw had in his possession from the party, was stolen.

Shaw is the third person to be killed in Westmoreland since a state of public emergency was declared in the parish last week.

Last Thursday, 29-year-old Romario Dillion of Fullersfield in Grange Hill, was shot and killed about 1:30 p.m. while 26-year-old Odaine Brooks, of Broughton district, was shot and killed in his community about 7:30 p.m. that night.