Man killed in bizarre bird-shooting mishap in St James
Published:Monday | August 19, 2024 | 12:10 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
A food and beverage manager connected to a popular local hotel chain is now under police investigation in connection with Saturday’s shooing death of another man during a bird-shooting exercise in bushes in Barrett Hall in St James.
While the police have acknowledged the incident and confirmed the identity of the deceased man, up to last night, they had yet to officially divulge the name of the firearm holder, who, reportedly, fired the fatal shot and the status of their investigations.
The incident was not recorded in the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s ‘daily incident report’ for yesterday.
The deceased man, who was reportedly hired by a bird-shooting party to pick up birds that had been shot, has been identified as 38-year-old Antonio Davis, a wood carver of Carey Park in Trelawny.
According to a source with knowledge of the incident, about 6:30 a.m., the hotel manager was reportedly crouching on an elevated platform, taking aim at a bird, when the platform started to collapse. As he tried to balance himself, the gun reportedly went off, and a single bullet was discharged. The bullet reportedly struck Davis in his upper body, killing him on the spot.
“From all indications, it appears to be an unfortunate accident as there is nothing to suggest any ill-intent,” the Gleaner source said. “All the persons who were on the shooting trip are really saddened by the incident and are grieving with the deceased man’s family.”
In the aftermath of the incident, Superintendent Eron Samuels, the police commander for St James, confirmed the incident to The Gleaner and said further details would come via the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s communication unit.
The 2024 Jamaica Game Bird Hunting Season, which spans mid-August to late September, only recently got under way. Under the rules governing the hunting of birds, shooting is allowed between sunrise and sunset.
The National Environment and Planning Agency bears oversight responsibility for ensuring that the requisite rules are followed. Hunters are required to abide by the guidelines of the Wildlife Protection Act.
While game shooting is considered a relatively safe sport, from time-to-time there have been shooting accidents that have resulted in death. In April 2022, Montego Bay’s top-flight race car driver, 52-year-old David Watkins, was killed in a bizarre shooting incident while deer hunting in Portland.
According to reports, Watkins was walking with his shotgun strung over his shoulder when he slipped and the gun went off, shooting him under his armpit. Reportedly, he died on the spot.