The violent death of a gas-pump attendant in Cole Bay understandably sent shockwaves throughout the community Monday evening. After all, a well-known man trying to earn his daily bread
in an honest manner was killed by unscrupulous robbers who clearly don’t place much value on human life.
They apparently made the crucial mistake though to go and rob another gas station nearby right afterward. It’s an indication of the absurd “boldness” with which some criminals operate nowadays, as though they are not even worried about being caught.
This duo probably will pay a heavy price for their sheer disdain and remain behind bars many years, especially if the weapon reportedly found in their possession can be linked to the fatal shooting, Christmas indeed should come early for them and rightfully so.
While such an incident could be expected to raise security concerns, it’s important to remember that at least two suspects were soon arrested. Preventing crimes altogether is a tall order for any community, but solving them swiftly and resolutely can act as a strong deterrent and can restore a sense of public safety.
It seems the victim tried to resist in defence of his employer, which is itself admirable but not advisable, as people are reminded in today’s paper. Being the target of a cowardly holdup at gunpoint will spark feelings of anger, of course, and perhaps trigger people’s natural self-defence mechanism, but no emotional injury or amount of money is actually worth the end of one’s very existence on this earth.
May the deceased’s family, relatives, friends and colleagues find some comfort in the knowledge that those responsible probably didn’t get away with it this time. The police deserve credit for reacting so quickly and nabbing these dangerous armed parasites before they could do even more damage.
