Heartbroken Mother Shares the Final Hours of Barre Denis Homicide Victim
Castries, Saint Lucia – The grieving mother of Gabriel Junior Henry, a 22-year-old victim of Saint Lucia’s first homicide for 2025, has shared a heart-wrenching account of his final hours. The Barre Denis homicide victim tragically lost his life on Thursday evening after a quiet dinner at home with his brother, leaving a community in shock and raising fresh concerns about violent crime on the island.
According to a report by St. Lucia Times, Junior and his brother returned home around 6:00 p.m. after a day’s work. Their mother, Veronica Poleon, prepared their dinner, which they ate outside the family home. However, what seemed like an ordinary evening would soon take a tragic turn.
At approximately 9:15 p.m., the night was shattered by the sound of gunshots. Moments later, Gabriel Junior Henry lay lifeless in the living room, just a short distance from the balcony where he was believed to have been having his meal.
“I Saw His Body Just There”
Speaking to St. Lucia Times, Veronica recounted the horrific events of that night. She had gone to her room after preparing her son’s dinner. Later, as she prepared to lock the door for the night, she heard gunfire.
“I sat up on the bed for a while and then I heard pow, pow, pow, and I said, ‘Bon dieu, what happen there?’” the distraught mother recalled. Summoning the courage to leave her room, she found her son lying in the living room near the doorway, his eyes wide open. “I saw his body just there… and his brother came to try to pick him up. I said, ‘What are you doing? Put him down, he die already.’”
Veronica believes Junior was first shot on the verandah and tried to flee into the house to escape further injury. A bullet hole in the wall bore silent testimony to the night’s violent events. Despite her shock, she managed to ask a neighbor to call the police and an ambulance. Sadly, Junior was later pronounced dead at the Owen King European Union (OKEU) Hospital.
A Life of Hard Work and Struggles
Veronica described her son as a hardworking young man employed by a construction company. She said she could not understand why anyone would target him. However, she noted that trouble may have started months earlier.
In October, Veronica returned home after a year away for surgery. Shortly after, Junior disclosed that he had been involved in a physical altercation with two young men in the area. He reportedly retaliated during the fight, injuring one of his attackers, who required medical attention. Days later, Junior allegedly brought home two spent bullet shells, claiming someone had fired at him.
“I asked him to make a report, but he said if he go and make a report, the fellas would come back after him,” Veronica explained. Despite her warnings, she said her son dismissed the concerns, telling her it was not necessary to involve the authorities.
A Community Mourns and Demands Justice
Veronica, overwhelmed with grief, is struggling to comprehend why her son was killed. “I am tired of all the senseless killings, especially with the lives of young men being taken away,” she said, adding that she never imagined her own child would fall victim to such violence.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has launched an investigation into the case and is urging anyone with information about the homicide to come forward. Citizens can contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 456-3770, call the Crime Hotline at 555, or use the Crime Hotline App for anonymous reporting.
As the island grapples with its first homicide of the year, the community remains in shock, hoping for answers and justice in the wake of this tragedy.
