•  teen killed, three wounded

Terror returned to Buxton last night after a group of gunmen in a 4x4 opened fire on residents, killing a 16-year-old boy and wounding three others.

Delon Headley of Buxton was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Hospital after he was shot twice in the head, while O'Brian Smith is in a critical condition with a huge gunshot wound in his armpit.

Delroy Scott and Leon Adams, both 19, were receiving treatment for wounds they sustained to the foot and head respectively.

Their wounds are not life-threatening.

There were rumours that at least two children were lying dead on the Buxton Railway Embankment, but this newspaper was unable to confirm this up to press time.

The shooting has left the village in turmoil following months of relative calm.

According to eyewitnesses, persons in a white sports utility vehicle drove through the village from west to east, spraying bullets indiscriminately in the direction of persons who were either hanging out or making their way home and to work around 20:50 hours.

“It start from Buxton Sideline and was like a machine gun, dat, dat, dat, dat, dat, it ain't stopping. Everybody start fuh run. De shooting stop when de vehicle reach like by Vigilance. Dem man shoot right through,” an eyewitness told this newspaper.

“Is lime people liming and a jeep pass and open fire,” another eyewitness recalled.

Leon Adams, who was lucky to escape with just a graze to his head, told this newspaper that he threw himself to the ground when the shooting started.

“Me throw down meself and by time I turn, is knock I get knock,” he said.

A mini-bus conductor recalled that he had just finished working for the day when he heard the gunshots. He said he was forced to take cover, since he could not ascertain where the shots were coming from.

A relative of one of the injured youths said she almost caught a fit when news of the shooting was relayed to her.

“A friend come and seh, 'You all gat fuh go and pick up O'Brian',” the woman told this newspaper.

“As soon as I hear me brother get knock, me whole head start fuh go around. When I go and see me brother, but I didn't know dat is so much people get knock,” a brother of O'Brian Smith stated.

When the shooting stopped, several persons rushed to the scene only to discover the wounded lying on the roadway, while a few others were covered in blood.

The injured persons were put into a car and rushed to the Georgetown Hospital .

Within minutes of their arrival, the hospital was overwhelmed by several Buxtonians, who were enquiring about their relatives and friends.

At this time no one knew the identity of the dead youth.

It was only until one of his cousins arrived at the hospital and began wailing hysterically that it was revealed that he was Delon Headley.

“Oh God, Delon…dis is murder. Driving and shooting people just so dry. Dey gat fuh know who is who,” the dead youth's relative said hysterically, while fellow villagers tried to restrain her.

Within an hour of the dead and injured persons' arrival at the hospital, Opposition Leader Robert Corbin was at the hospital.

He was immediately given an account of what transpired in Buxton and was visibly upset.

“Somebody is trying to provoke war to create a diversion and trying to blame Buxton. How could one explain a drive-by in Buxton, knowing that there will be a reaction? It is disgusting…on a night when we (PNCR) have a vigil against crime,” Corbin told reporters after wheeling one of the injured into the X-ray theatre.

Police have not given out details on the shooting, and efforts to contact the Public Relations Officer or the Divisional Commander last night proved futile.

Police ranks visited the hospital and left without speaking to relatives of the dead and injured.

No one could say who did the shooting.