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6 DEAD – Fiery end to attempted City robbery

6 DEAD – Fiery end to attempted City robbery Glendene Welch is overcome with grief after learning that her daughter Kelly Ann might be among the dead.

By Tim Slinger | Sat, September 04, 2010 - 1:03 AM

SIX PEOPLE perished last night in a blaze that could go down as one of Barbados’ worst human tragedies.

A fire believed to have started by two men who robbed the Campus Trendz store in Tudor Street, The City, engulfed the two-storey building along the busy shopping street, trapping the hapless victims within the inferno.

Confirmed dead is 18-year-old Shanna Griffith, an employee of the store who reportedly died in an ambulance en route to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Unconfirmed reports also indicated that five other females perished, including a toddler, other staff and customers.

A female supervisor also had to be treated on the scene for several cutlass wounds, believed to have been inflicted by one of the robbers. Up to press time, her condition was unknown.

According to police, the two robbers, in view of shocked customers, threw an incendiary device into Campus Trendz just before 7 p.m., after taking an undisclosed amount of cash.

   An eyewitness told the SATURDAY SUN he was standing on the pavement just yards away from the store when a young man hurriedly dashed along the sidewalk.

   “Then a second fellah with something like a scarf over his face ran behind him and then I heard this big explosion.

  “Within minutes I saw this big gush of smoke and the whole of the store was on fire. I have never seen anything like that,” he said.

    The eyewitness added that a few people who were outside rushed to assist, but the flames were fierce, and had “literally swallowed the doorway”.
    
 

  It is believed that following the cutlass attack by the robbers and the subsequent explosion, the people inside Campus Trendz  panicked and ran to the back of the building, trapping themselves in the process.

Over 41 firemen and six tenders fought the blaze which had threatened to extend to other buildings along Tudor Street.

Family members and close friends had kept vigil along the smoke-filled street awaiting word on the fate of their loved ones.

At 10:40 p.m. when the flames had subsided, fire-fighters finally entered through a hole which was dug at the back of the building, where they found a badly-burnt Griffith huddled in the bathroom.

Griffith, 18, of Pile Bay, Spring Garden, St Michael, was rushed into an ambulance, but also died.

    By 11:22 p.m. when the last ambulance left there were confirmed reports that five bodies had been recovered.

  Scores of onlookers converged on Tudor Street causing numerous problems for police, prompting police public relations officer Inspector David Welch to go live on radio appealing for better behaviour.

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Posted by Demetrio Moore 1 year, 8 months ago

If you’re not going to post my comment “as is” then remove it!!

THANK YOU!!

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Posted by bajanfishermen 1 year, 8 months ago

My condolences goes out to the families of the innocent deceased. This why we need to have our security leaders concentrate on our security.These innocent people going about their business, and a bunch of misfits comes along and took their lives.
Enough is enough. Now instead of the deputy Comissioner fighting his boss, send him out on the beat. This is a great case for him to go spend his time. The criminals see there is dissension in the ranks, and have upped the stakes.

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Posted by TYRONE 1 year, 8 months ago

It hard to know this is going on in Barbados IN 2010 PEOPLE IN CHARGE WE CAN HAVE CAMERAS ALL OVER THE CITY TO KEEP AN EYE ON CRIME.ALSO MAKE A LAW IN THE ISLAND THAT EVERY PLACE OF BUSINESS SHOULD HAVE AN ESCAPE EXIT.DO NOT CARE HOW SMALL THE BUSINESS.DO NOT FORGET USA IS SENDING HOME HARD CRIMINALS.

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Posted by Bajanqueen 1 year, 8 months ago

These two heartless ilks of society deliberately took the lives of productive citizens. What an awful tragedy. Now these families will forever suffer the losses of their loved ones. That pain will always be there.
My deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and trust that they find peace.
These hardened criminals must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. It wouldn’t bring the grieving families their loved ones back; but some consolation, knowing that they are no longer a part of society to do it again.

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Posted by Ann 1 year, 8 months ago

My sincere condolences to the family and friends of those whom we lost last evening, I also want to say my heart ached for the persons who had to remove the bodies from the scene, I just know it could not have been easy for them, this will stay with them for a life time, may God comfort you all.

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Posted by D. Hall 1 year, 8 months ago

The facts speak for themselves. The death penalty is a strong deterrent. Without it, chaos slowly takes over.

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Posted by karen 1 year, 8 months ago

i’m out raged at these demons “not animals” that commit such a crime in this land. todays pole should be in favor of the death penalty upon their capture. we have become a haven for criminals and wrong doing. I hope this incident helps the people of Barbados to realise that withholding information and fighting against the police is not the answer…it just giveway to these demons more power to kill your family members. BARBADOS…unite for the HANGING of these guy and May the Almighty grant comfort and understanding to the familíes at this time of sorrow.

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Posted by Barbadian in Toronto 1 year, 8 months ago

Sincere sympathy and condolences to the families of this senseless tradgey which has brought a sudden end to life for six persons.  Justice will be served.  God will reveal who those bandits are and I pray that when justice is served on them they will have some remorse for their willful act.  May God have mercy on the souls of the departed.  Barbados get serious about Saftey in the workplace.  This is imperative.  Please do not wait for another incident to happen such as this

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Posted by Fed up 1 year, 8 months ago

My deepest sympath to all the families affected by this tragedy.This is another reminder of the laid back attitude the country has to deal with,implement the standards that governs the organisation.Those responsible for the deaths of these women should be shot in public and not waste the courts time.Again the Fire Service needs to do something about these one door businesses and be mindful about their deployment,increase the manpower and stop leaving high risk areas unattended.

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Posted by RAH 1 year, 8 months ago

What has BIM come to? Are we now a haven for ruthless, sociopathic criminals?
My heart goes out to the families who grieve.
Bajans as a whole need to come together and eradicate these cancerous tumours which plague our peaceful country. This is not Afghanistan or “Gully” or “Gaza”. This is our home, our BIM.
THE CLEANUP STARTS TODAY!!
Help the police to find these killers and bring them to justice!! NOW!!
IF NOT PAY ME AND I WILL DO IT FOR YOU!!

- RAH

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Posted by David 1 year, 8 months ago

Death is too nice a punishment for the animals involved in this horrific crime. Its about time that we start to see the impact of Hollywood on the physique of our young people.

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Posted by BAFBFP 1 year, 8 months ago

Now perhaps you will address the problem of building design in Bridgetown where there is no policed requirement to have an escape route for occupants. Blame goes well beyond those two thugs…!

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Posted by DEBBY 1 year, 8 months ago

This is a senseless act, and I am totally shattered.First of all my heart-felt sympathy goes out to all the relatives and friends of these innocent souls who’s lives have immediately been change because of of this senseless act,this act has left our entire country in a state of disbelief,shock and grief, let justice be done to these inhumane creatures.

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Posted by Carl A. Husbands 1 year, 8 months ago

This is one of those moments in my life when I will always remember where I was when I learnt of this tragedy.  We may not have known these young women whose lives were taken but there were our sisters and our daughters.  IT IS THAT PERSONAL TO ALL OF US BAJANS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD.  Every second that these two men are free we all lose a piece of our collective Bajan soul.  Let this be the start of the time that we all stand up and say no more to the criminals and degenerates that live amongst us.  Let this be the beginning where our desire to live like decent human beings MUST crush these criminals’ desire to act like animals. NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE RACIAL AND NATIONAL PRIDE IN WHAT REALLY COUNTS…. RETURNING TO THE VALUES THAT OUR FOREPARENTS INSTILLED IN US THAT MADE US ALL PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE BARBADIANS.

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Posted by Bajan gal 1 year, 8 months ago

I’m reading this article in Canada and totally shocked that this occurred in Barbados. I can’t believe these criminals took so many lives for a few dollars. Now, I don’t care for the death penalty but it would be warranted here. My sincere condolences to the families involved in this senseless tragedy.

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Posted by Bajan UK 1 year, 8 months ago

My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones.  I can’t believe this is happening in my beloved island.  The government need to stop talking about tackling crime and actually start putting into place actions for those involved in crime. 

First remove all illegal immigrates out of the island as you don’t know the background of these people and have they left their own homeland due to commiting crime?  and secondly parents who do not correct their children but turn a blind eye need to be fined and their children should be put into prison to do hard labour.

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Posted by Bajan badman 1 year, 8 months ago

This should be a lesson in humility for Bajans, to stop pointing fingures at other nations like Jamaica.

Now you know what it feels like to have bad man take over the place. This is normal in Jamaica, but we should never be judgemental and ignorant to the fact that it can happen anywhere.

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Posted by Kyle 1 year, 8 months ago

Sounds like the same people that robbed the chicken place couple weeks ago.  They robbed the place then burnt it down.

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Posted by Painful 1 year, 8 months ago

Murder, Attempted Murder, Arson, Burglary, Assault and Battery equates to the death penalty.

My condolences for those who have lost loved ones in this hideous, premeditated act of violence.

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Posted by Thunderbaje 1 year, 8 months ago

It appears that this is a new method being used by the criminals in their attempt to perpetrate their criminal attacks on us law abiding citizens. My heart felt condolences go out to the families who have lost loves ones.
I hope that when these criminals are caught that I don’t hear the so call amnesty people coming out asking that we spare the perpetrators of this criminal act lives. I believe it would be another act of murder against these victims if this is allowed to happen.
A life was willfully taken, then one should be legally demanded.

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