iWitnessNews SVG – Cornelius John, 60, the man who was shot at his Diamond home on April 13, says Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves’ comment about what the opposition might have said had one of their members been involved is nothing but an excuse for the shooting.
Ashelle Morgan, a senator for Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party, as well as Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Karim Nelson are “persons of interest” in the investigation, Commissioner of Police Colin John has told iWitness News.
Three persons were present when John was shot at his home after a verbal exchange with the trio which he said came to his house uninvited.
Gonsalves has maintained that he was not making an excuse for the shooting when he commented on it on NBC Radio on May 4.
A number of media outlets and commentators, as well as members of the public, concluded that Gonsalves was making an excuse for the shooting when he said:
“If the shoe were on the other foot and it was an NDP woman, an NDP parliamentarian or high party member who had gotten involved in this, you know how the story was going to spin?
“So what you expect? There are two women. In this country, there is a lot of violence against women and it is a good thing to see somebody is standing up to defend women.”
The shooting victim, a long-time supporter of Gonsalves’ politics, told iWitness News on Wednesday that his conclusions were the same as those of many other persons.
“Yes, when he was trying to say woman defending — we should glad that woman come and defend woman because we have a lot of woman abused around the place,” the shooting victim told iWitness News.
“That, to me, sounds like something you trying to whip up somebody, you’re trying to activate people to say, ‘Oh, yeah, woman abuse’ and you’re glad. That is something you are trying to activate. That’s how I look at it.
“He was making an excuse, but at the same time he making an excuse, he trying to get support from women to say, ‘Oh, it’s a good thing that women step up to support women – when there was no abuse’,” John said.
He, however, said that when he was shot there was no cause for anyone to be defending a woman or anyone else.
