[21st January 2018] Reports are limited in detail, but sources on the island if Sal, Cape Verde are confirming the fatal shooting of Nuno Silva on the afternoon of last Wednesday 17th January 2018. Friends of the deceased are paying tribute on social media to the Académico do Sal football player and popular young man of this developing tourist hotspot destination.
The unnamed suspect in the killing is said to have surrendered himself to the National Police some 36 hours after the shooting. A statement from the police confirmed the arrest for one count of murder and one count of attempted murder and that a 6.35mm semi-automatic pistol with four rounds of ammunition had also been handed in by the suspect.
Nuno Silva, a Global Drinks employee in Santa Maria, was shot six times by the former employee of the company. In a statement, the Judiciary Police confirmed that the Department of Criminal Investigation of Sal in conjunction with the National Police did attest the suspect on the morning of Friday 19th January. The police confirmed in the same statement that the shooting was inside a commercial property in the Tanquino Norte area of Santa Maria, subsequent to an argument between three men, including the gunman and the victim. Mr Silva was taken to hospital but later died of his injuries according to the attending physician, having been shot in the head and having multiple serious injuries. The other wounded man, Helder Luis is said to be in a stable condition after being shot twice. Mr Luis, was transferred to the city of Praia on the island of Santiago and will be evacuated to Portugal in order to undergo further surgery following the life threatening injuries he suffered.
On Friday afternoon and attending court, the unnamed suspect from Santa Cruz on the capital island of Santiago, was remanded in custody.
Local media commenting on the killing are saying that several other crimes have occurred lately on Sal, including armed robberies, drug related offences, rape and animal theft. Perpetrators of these crimes are already in custody and tourists are being reminded not to fear European media reports that may sensationalise these stories. Such criminality becomes newsworthy in such a small community where such issues are rare. Mike Dawson, a regulator visitor to the archipelago says:
“Petty crime and opportunist theft has always been a reality of visiting Santa Maria and we have learnt to take sensible precautions. That said, such instances are few and far between in their friendly and close knit village. Without doubt however, with the continued increase in tourist numbers to the island, less wealthy criminals from other islands travel to prey on a targeted tourist audience especially at celebrations and festivals.
“This unnecessary and tragic death is an isolated incident between three local men and with reports today of eight year old British school girl Mylee Billingham being stabbed and killed in Walsall and the Taliban attack on the Afghanistan Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul killing eight, we need to consider this sad news of Nuno Silva in proportion to global crime statistics.
“Our sympathies and thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Silva and Mr Luis at this time.”
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