‘I was lucky’: British photographer, 72, speaks of his relief after surviving a shooting by masked gunmen in St Lucia that killed his property manager friend
- Peter Jackson, 72, was injured in a shooting that killed his friend Donnie McKinnon
- The victims were on the balcony of Steve’s Bar in the town of Soufrière, St. Lucia
- Jackson, who has lived on the island for 30 years, said McKinnon was the target
- He said, ‘I was lucky. My friend, not like that. My friend was the target, not me.’
A photographer spoke of his relief after surviving a shooting by masked gunmen in St. Lucia.
Peter Jackson, 72, was injured a shooting that killed his friend Donnie McKinnon in the town of Soufriere on the west coast of the Caribbean island on Saturday.
The victims were on the balcony of Steve’s Bar on Market Road when the masked gunmen approached in broad daylight and fired shots.
Mr Jackson, an Accrington photographer who has lived on the island for 30 years, said Mr McKinnon was the target of the attack.
Peter Jackson (pictured), 72, a photographer from Accrington, Lancashire, who has lived on the Caribbean island for more than 30 years, was injured in the attack
It comes as it was alleged yesterday that Donnie McKinnon was shot in a ‘personal vendetta’
The victims were on the balcony of Steve’s Bar on Market Road when the masked gunmen approached and fired shots (Photo: Police cordoned off crime scene)
He told The times: ‘I was lucky. My friend, not like that. My friend was the target, not me. Wrong place, they say.’
Mr Jackson, a well-known community activist and former director of the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation, was taken to St Jude Hospital to be treated for his gunshot wound.
He added: ‘The bullet went straight through my shoulder and I’m lucky to have come away with a broken humerus.
“We’re just a small community, but our medical services are doing a great job with limited resources.”
It comes as it was alleged yesterday that Mr McKinnon was shot in a ‘personal vendetta’.
The 48-year-old – who grew up in Fort William and ran a hotel in Aberdeen before moving to the island in 2009 – was described yesterday as ‘lovely, unassuming and very popular’.
Police detectives are still hunting down the masked gunmen. But it has been reported that the shooting was ‘targeted’.
A local source was quoted as saying, “It didn’t look like a random attack.”
Donnie McKinnon (pictured) was killed in the alleged attack that took place at a local bar in the town of Soufrière
Mr. Jackson was injured in the alleged attack and taken to St. Jude Hospital on the island (pictured)
Mr. McKinnon (pictured right) was the manager of the island’s Soufriere Estate, a former 2,000 acre plantation
Author and retired teacher Clive Sankardayal, a friend of both victims, said: “I am still shocked by what happened to Peter and especially Donnie.”
He said Mr McKinnon – who managed the Soufriere estate, which is home to the Diamond Falls and Diamond Botanical Gardens tourist attractions – had recently moved in with his wife and young son.
Mr. McKinnon was also General Manager of the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa in Aberdeen between 2007 and 2009.
The hotel said in a statement: ‘All of us at the Marcliffe are devastated to hear of the death of Donnie McKinnon in such horrible and violent circumstances.
‘We will remember him as the sweet, humble and very popular man we all knew. He will be sorely missed. We send our love and condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.”
Mr Sankardayal said Mr McKinnon had died of gunshot wounds to his back and added: ‘I don’t have all the information yet. But I understand it was personal revenge and not a robbery.’
The weekend attack has pushed St. Lucia’s death toll from gun violence to 68 so far this year, prompting acting local police commissioner Crusita Descartes-Pelius to issue a stark warning.
She said, “To the individuals who intend to wreak havoc, you will be wiped out.” A St. Lucia police spokesman said: “The matter is under investigation. We record statements from individuals.’
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We support the family of a British man who died and a British man who was injured in St. Lucia.”