
A sixteen-year-old boy in the neighboring island of Antigua and Barbuda has been remanded to the prison there, after being charged with murder.
On Thursday, the teenager who cannot be named under the Child’s Protection Act was accused of killing Syrian national Roudi Shmaly during a robbery at the Pick N Mix Minimart.
Shmaly, who was in the adjacent Chicken Hub, was alerted to the armed robbery and rushed over to the mart, but was shot at point-blank range.
Shmaly was shot and killed on Monday, as the robber made good on his escape with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The entire Syrian community in Antigua has been crying out since the killing.
Shmaly only arrived in Antigua during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He reportedly came with the intention to work, to return to Syria to marry his sweetheart, whom he had been engaged to prior to his arrival in Antigua.
Shmaly did not get to celebrate his 26th birthday. He died at the tender age of 25.
A candlelight vigil was held in his honor in Antigua on Thursday night.
He was described as someone who was well-loved.
This is Antigua and Barbuda’s first homicide for the year.

Not all people have “visas”, and even if they had they couldn’t travel the world and set up shop. It must be a privilege in this modern time to still have and own slaves. There is only one race of people who dislike their kind.
“the teenager who cannot be named under the Child’s Protection Act was accused of killing Syrian national Roudi Shmaly during a robbery”
Pure nonsense. If you already engaging in these type of activities at 16 you should be treated as an adult.
Antigua and Dominica are two list countries in the Caribbean where law and order has been vanishing, thanks to Skerrit and Brown and their evil friendship. Guess nothing will change until both leaders are out of office
I suppose it’s Pm Skerrit, and Brown, fault why the killing took place in Antigua, and I say you so-called One Love, and that two face Ibo, are two of the biggest Aholes in the Caribbean, I say so with great pleasure.
A thirteen (13) year old was part of a gang that robbed and raped a woman in broad daylight. A sixteen year (16) old gunned down a businessman execution style in broad daylight. Young men have also disappeared like vapour. The moral fabric of Antigua has been shredded.
I am mourning for Antigua? No! A country gets a government it deserves. Antiguans had an opportunity to rid their country of the present misleader and his worthless parasites on June 18. Inexplicably, they rewarded this unscrupulous regime with another term. Live in misery for your stupidity.
Very unfortunate. My condolences to the family & friends of this man.
Now folks, take note of the type of nonsense ABSOLUTELY SATANIC content these cannot-sing ‘musical artists’ are producing – content that glorifies and promotes murder, gangsterism, smoking, alcoholism, whoredom and female lewdness & vulgarity.
Take note of the type of artists that are being hyped, promoted and brought in for shows around the region including Dominica. Then the society (including the regional leaders) pretend like they don’t see the in-your-face indoctrination & mind-bending techniques being pushed on gullible persons by these violent, vulgar & profane music.
Who are the covert handlers & financiers of these absolutely garbage-producing ‘musical artists’? What is the real endgame of these covert handlers & financiers of these garbage?
Sad news indeed!!
Reasons why i support very very tough penalties for anyone found with illegal firearms!
Law abiding citizens are unarmed, bandits and criminals are armed…Good citizens are at the mercy of those hoodlums!
Another innocent life is truncated!!
You are under the popular misconception that murders will drastically be reduced if every law abiding citizen had the right to be armed with a gun. Pour but misguided notion.
In the US, it easy to purchase a gun as buying sweets. Look at the frequency of mass killings and massacres.
In Australia, the UK and Japan, legal gun ownership is extremely difficult. Consequently, the murder rate in these countries is minimal.
Not because something is popular, it does not mean that it is necessarily true.