UPDATE: Ashburn A. Dawson is man shot to death in Road Town
The man shot to death close to the Sunday Morning Well in Road Town, the capital city, has been identified as Ashburn A. Dawson aka ‘Ashy’ of Carrot Bay, Tortola.
The deceased is a civil servant assigned to the High Court Registry where he worked for a number of years.
He is survived by his parents and one son. Mr Dawson is 30 years of age and would have been 31 in August 2017.
The cause of the shooting is still under investigation; however, according to police sources, it was around 10:00 PM on March 10, 2017 while the deceased was on his motor scooter between Centies’ Store and a burger snackette in the area of the Sunday Morning Well, when a hail of gun shots went off allegedly aimed at him.
Died @ Peebles Hospital; suspect is known
It is reported that at least three shots hit Mr Dawson and he fell to the ground on the public road. Before the ambulance arrived there were members of the public trying to assist the man; however, he subsequently died at the island’s main Peebles Hospital despite many attempts by paramedics to revive him.
In addition, one of our newsroom’s senior sources from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force confirmed that police has a suspect in mind and is on the hunt for the alleged lone male shooter.
Police, in a press release this morning, March 11, 2017 confirmed “the death of a 30-year-old male following a shooting incident last night near the Sunday Morning Well. The male victim was taken to Peebles Hospital following the incident where he subsequently died.”
There remain over 20 unsolved murders in the tiny Virgin Islands of about 40 thousand residents.
The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online offer our condolences to Mr Dawson’s immediate family and other loved ones.
See previous article published March 10, 2017
Man gunned down near Sunday Morning Well in RT
Reports are coming into our newsroom from our Team of Reporters and police sources around Tortola that about 10:00 PM tonight, March 10, 2017 a young man was gunned down in Road Town, in the area of the Sunday Morning Well.
It is believed the young man, whose name and identity we have but will withhold until family members are property notified, is a government worker.
Police and other emergency personnel are on the scene at this time as the road is now cordoned off around the immediate area.
This shooting incident makes it two (2) murders in less than 24 hours in the British Overseas Territory.
We will provide more details as they become available.
110 Responses to “UPDATE: Ashburn A. Dawson is man shot to death in Road Town”
R.I.P just hail u up today n now your gone life so short
RIP
We need cameras on every street corner, buildings, roofs so we can catch these savages that are slaughtering our youth. 20 years mandatory jail sentence for gun possession.
My sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.
Whoever is responsible for these senseless crimes, PLEASE stop it. The blood of every life you take is on you. How can you sleep? How can you have peace? Too many people are hurting!! Stop it!!
On the streets, there is no comparison.
No one has the right to judge the book by the cover whether for good or bad reasons. Only God can see into the future. And what God eyes can see, man eyes are hidden from.
The thing we should focus on is Jesus is coming soon and everyone should get right and live right because this world ain't getting better. It's gonna get worse. The heart of men is wicked who can know it.
Genesis 6:5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
All of this over some p*$$*? Wow
So, let me get this straight. The commissioneris to be blamed for this murder? I don't see you mentioning the fact that he constantly asked for more funding so community policing can be a reality. I didn't know the commissioner raised these dumb@$$ little bastards who are going around killing each other over bullsh*t. And I say bullsh*t because killing someone over, weed, pu$$y, stolen cash or because someone flexed on you is bullsh*t. Go read a book! Educate yourself! Go take a walk before you post solely based on your emotions at the moment. Or better yet, just shut the $$@& up.
What is to be address now urgently, is the need for both the Government Police and Community to come together and create a safe environment for the interest of the BVI.
If this continues, we will be in regret that evasive action wasn't taken at a very early stage.
People of the BVI please talk with your children and assist the law enforcement in doing their jobs. Remember crime is like a disease and will easily spread if it is not contained with the full force of the law.
A week of prayer is needed for my people;
This beautiful place is already on a down low with crime. Many guns are on our street and you will be surprised as to who is helping to traffick those weapons here.
The police responds when a crime is committed and even though they patrol the streets how can a police stop a man from shooting another that is premeditated?????? You are now asking ALL police to be psychologists to read mind if individuals on when they plan to kill.
Damn if that was so things would be different. Stop blaming the police for crap and allow them to do their jobs to find the killer.
You all see politicians thiefing your tax paying dollar right in your face but yet you continue to re elect them right! That mean you all accept that type of crime!!! $hiiiiiiit man!
RIP young soul.
Thief In The Night, you're an idiot. Go to school, get a job, get a life.
On another note.
They pick up B*ngo yet?
Throwing blames here and there won't solve the problem. We as a people need to do more: parents need to take charge of their children, Adults need to set good examples, principals and teachers need to be allowed to correct children without the fear of being lambasted, the police need to be respected, we need to speak up and stop supporting wrong when it suits us, we need to work with the police, we need to stop glorifying badness....
My condolence to Ashburn's family. Taught him while he was at BVI High: always a pleasant fellow. Never passed me on the road.
Just day before yesterday, he hailed me up in the vicinity of the high school. I was in my jeep and he was passing on his bike.
So unfortunate. May his young soul rest in peace.
To my country men and women, the increasing incidents of violent, especially gun crimes, and property crime is thrusting the nation into harmful and troubling tail spin. The increasing crime if not arrested will shred our social and economic fabrics, adversely impacting our standard of living and quality of life. We boast of having one of the highest standard of living in the region but it can quickly go to nought if the violent crime trend is not arrested.
Moreover,if we want proof of the negative impact of violent crime, take a look at our neighbor to the south----St. Croix. To millennials and Gen Z who were not born yet, google Fountain Valley. In 1973 or there about, Fountain Valley Golf Course was shot up, killing several people. St. Croix went in a tail spin and has not recovered as yet; economically it is going thru a tough and rough patch. It has a tough row to hoe to get back. No diss to St. Croix, just keeping it real. Is this what we want for the BVI? No. Let's use a little wisdom and learn from St. Croix's experience.
Fellow residents, the problem is ours to solve. The RVIPF is an able partner but each of us must commit to arresting the problem. Here is a news flash. If the economy heads south of the border and the BVI becomes a fail state, all ah we going with it. Tourism is a vital leg of the fragile and unbalanced two-legged economic stool. Tourists have choices of safer destinations and will choose them. The choice is ours. We can be part of the problem or part of the solution. Being part of the solution is the better choice. Nuff tark, done tark and time for action.
why you don't go back to your country since here so dangerous to live? why you bring your @$$ here to live if it is or was so dangerous? I can grantee that your country have more crime in it than this small place, i am certain other countries probably have more crimes than here. Don't bring your sorry @$$ here calling down this place because you already get what you came here for which is the US dollar.
The lodge too, have their dark secrets. Tola never changed from the first days. Always been a cruel, barbaric spirit weighing down on us here.
Blood rituals. Young men and woman selling their soul for another buck. Sad, this place is for sure a natural secret.
Not too long ago murders in the BVI were infrequent and when one did occur, it was really big and Breaking News in the community. Undoubtedly, time has changed and is changing.
The VI transition from subsistence agriculture to a service-based economy(tourism and financial services) has contributed to its growth and development and improved its standard of living and quality of life. However, growth and development often comes with the good, the bad and ugly.
The bad and ugly for the VI is the troubling increase of violent crimes. Violent crime poses a serious risk to the BVI’s economic and social health, i.e., standard of living and quality of life.
As Political Observer (PO) noted, there is an all hands on deck need to arrest crime. Crime can/is adversely impacting the way of life of residents and the destination choices of visitors. It is a binary choice; it is either crime is arrested or not.
Committing crime must come with consequences. Those accused of committing crimes should have their day in court. And the victim(s) and families of crimes must get justice. Clearly, the BVI has a crime problem. However, every problem has a cause(s) and solution(s).
Moreover, as noted earlier people committing crimes must have their day in court and justice meted out if found guilty. On the other hand, the root cause(s) of violent crimes, particularly gun crimes, must be identified and solutions employed to root out the causes.
Though committees are too often put in place to buy time and delay action, in this case an ad hoc committee should be considered to explore the cause of and solution to increasing violent crimes. Warmest condolence to the Dawson family.