Cops probing MoBay shooting
WESTERN BUREAU — The Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) has been called in to investigate the shooting death of Calvin Piggott along Orange Street in Montego Bay on Saturday night.
Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) officer for St James, Peter Salkey told the Observer yesterday that Piggott, 24, and his friend, Eldridge “Renkiss” Campbell, 29, were shot during an alleged shoot-out between security guards employed to Brinks Alarms Limited and four gunmen.
Piggott operated the Legend Barber Salon with three other men along Church Street in the city while Campbell is a labourer. They are both from Salt Spring in the parish.
The police said that four robbers, two of who had guns, entered the M & E Wholesale on Orange Street at about 8:50 pm Saturday and demanded money from the proprietor.
The proprietor allegedly activated his Brinks Alarm system when the men proceeded to rob him of $400,000 and 15 cartons of assorted cigarettes valued at $10,000.
Upon leaving the building, however, they were reportedly accosted by two security guards from Brinks Alarms. They (the gunmen) allegedly opened fire and a gun battle ensued.
When the shooting subsided, it was discovered that Piggott and Campbell, who were bystanders, had been shot to the head and right shoulder respectively.
Campbell was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where Campbell was admitted in stable condition. And Piggott was flown to the University Hospital in a JDF helicopter but was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Meanwhile, placard-bearing family and friends of the two men protested yesterday in downtown Montego Bay against their shooting.
“Him (Calvin) sit down and one a mi friend de talk and the man dem (security) just come on, broke de one-way street and start fire up shot… We want justice because you know it’s not right, a young youth like that just loose him life,” said Maxine Smith, Piggott’s friend and neighbour.
“Him a come from work and stop and a talk and then just dead like that. Him dead left him little youth and dead left two baby mother weh pregnant so we want just justice… and if we don’t get justice tomorrow we go protest. We go burn down place, a nuff things go happen because we love him, a innocent youth.”
Andrea McKenzie, Piggott’s cousin-in-law and a friend to “Renkiss”, echoed her views.
“We need justice fi Calvin or whole heap a wicked things go gwan. Renkiss is in the hospital and we need justice fi Renkiss cause dem haffi pay Renkiss doctor bill and we want dem tek over Calvin funeral and take care of Calvin pickney…” said an angry McKenzie.
Piggott’s sister, Sandra, in the meanwhile bemoaned the death of her sibling. “Mi caan cope with this… dem just come kill off mi brother fi no reason at all… Mi have other brother and sister but a mi and him live together, a one mother and one father we…” she said. “He was a very good person. From mi know him nuh give no problem him a nuh no thief. Mi brother a barber.”