By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
RASHAD Sweeting, the first murder victim of the year, was a kind-hearted, unproblematic young man who dreamed of starting his own rental car and scooter business, his aunt said.
The 27-year-old father of one, affectionately known as “Shaddy”, was gunned down shortly after midnight on Monday while standing with two others outside his grandmother’s home near Big Pond.
Sweeting’s aunt, Claudine Sweeting, who lives abroad, said his death has devastated the family, who are still mourning the loss of his mother to cancer last year. She described him as someone who was always willing to help and said they shared a close relationship, speaking frequently.
“This has left the whole family living in fear,” she said.
According to Mrs Sweeting, this is not the first time her family has been targeted. She alleged that someone tried to kill Rashad’s sister a few months ago, an incident she said was reported to the police but went unaddressed.
The family believes the attacks are connected to assets left behind by Rashad’s mother, including a duplex currently in probate and two insurance policies. They recently learned that the court case for the probate is scheduled for next week and speculate that the timing of the case may have influenced this week’s events.
She added that the same individual had threatened her directly, asking when she would return to New Providence.
Police have not confirmed if a suspect has been arrested or whether any prior complaints from the family had been filed. Investigations into the murder are ongoing.
The family is calling for answers and justice. “We just want this to end,” Mrs Sweeting said.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
OpenID