THE USUAL CALM of St Ann’s Fort was shattered just before 8 a.m. yesterday when a Barbados Defence Force (BDF) soldier took his life by way of a bullet to the head.
In a statement, the BDF confirmed that the incident, involving 38-year-old Able-Bodied Seaman Adrian DeCourcey Greenidge, of Eden Lodge, St Michael, occurred about 7:55 a.m.
It said initial investigations showed that no other people were involved and that another probe would be carried out in conjunction with the Royal Barbados Police Force.
BDF sources said a noise heard from within the barracks turned out to be the muffled sound of a 9mm Glock weapon being discharged beneath the pillow used by Greenidge in his bid to conceal his action.
The soldier, who has two sons and is married, was reportedly experiencing domestic problems.
Greenidge, who joined the army 11 years ago on January 29, 2000, was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) where he was pronounced dead.
This sad news greeted family members and fellow soldiers, many of whom were in shock as they gathered on an overcast day outside the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department around 9 a.m.
As news filtered out into the wider community, Eden Lodge residents arrived at the QEH to offer comfort and support to Greenidge’s relatives, some of whom wept. They said they had no comment to make to the Press on what they were treating as “a private matter”.
BDF Chief of Staff Colonel Alvin Quintyne was seen briskly making his way into the hospital.
A more stoic-looking Quintyne re-emerged about half an hour later and quickly exited the compound without offering any comment.
When a DAILY?NATION team visited Greenidge’s home later in the day, family members were still hesitant to speak. Two relatives, who identified themselves as a brother and sister-in-law, declined to give their names but said the family was “hanging in” and “trying to cope” with the sudden loss.
Saying it was a difficult time for the soldiers too, BDF Adjutant Lieutenant Commander Carson Hackett added that it was particularly challenging for them because there had already been four deaths in the Coast Guard this year.
Hackett said the BDF had engaged counselling services for the soldiers from early in the day, shortly after the tragic incident occurred.
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