16-year-old charged with gun possession

‘What is going on in SVG?’ Magistrate asks

The proliferation of illegal firearms in this country has prompted one magistrate to ask the question “What is going on in SVG?”{{more}}

Senior Magistrate Donald Browne asked the question yesterday at the Kingstown Magistrates’ Court, after 16-year-old Tyron John of Campden Park was charged with possession of a .38 special revolver and six rounds of ammunition.

The teen, who said he attends the Campden Park Secondary school, pleaded not guilty to both charges, alleged to have been committed on September 7 at Richmond Hill.

“At 16, all I knew was board guns. Them fellas got the real McCoy. Just last week we had four murders. What is going on in SVG?” the magistrate asked.

“Look who have de guns. They become trigger happy with the guns. What these jokers don’t understand when they see people gun down people on television, they get up off the ground when the cameras are off. When they shoot here, is dead they are dead. They are not getting up!” Browne added.

John was remanded into custody since no one came to sign his bail bond.

Commissioner of Police Keith Miller on September 1 appealed to holders of unlicensed firearms to hand them into the police.

The police chief’s plea came after Evans Lynch was gunned down in Layou that day.