The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

RELATIVES of a man who was shot dead on Saturday night have described him as a “quiet” guy who loved Junkanoo and attended church.

Police said they were alerted to sounds of gunshots from residents of Lazaretto Road around 9.30pm.

Upon their arrival at the scene, police discovered the body of a male of Haitian descent with multiple gunshot wounds.

The 20-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services.

Yesterday, Luvi Noel identified the victim as her brother, Welji Noel. She said the family is “shocked” by his untimely death.

When asked by this newspaper to describe the kind of person her brother was, she said: “Quiet. Active. He was an active member in Junkanoo and an active member in the church. To know him is to love him.”

According to the family, the 2020 CV Bethel High School graduate was not known to be a troublemaker as he was “quiet and mannerly.” He was the second of three children.

The 24-year-old recalled her last moments with her brother around 7pm on Saturday.

“The last time we saw him he was just joking around with me, my mommy, and little brother. Just joking around laughing and getting off,” she said.

The family are residents of the community, as they have lived on Spikenard Road for a little over three years which is just a corner near  Lazaretto Road, where the incident occurred.

Family members, friends and church members gathered outside the family’s residence yesterday to support the deceased’s mother, as she mourned her son’s death.

The sister said the loss of her brother is toughest on her mother, however, she is trying to remain strong through it all.

She said: “I trying to be strong for my mommy, that’s all. I am trying not to beat myself up as much as she is beating herself. I just want her to be able to lean on me.”

Ms Noel recalled her family receiving the unexpected call around 9pm that her brother had been shot.

“I didn’t hear the gunshots, but we got the call around 9pm,” she said. “We wasn’t able to identify him because of the police, but we knew it was him.”

Police are actively investigating and appealing to anyone who may have information to contact the police at 919, 911 or at the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS.