Donnie McKinnon and Peter Jackson were reportedly on the balcony of a bar on Market Road in Soufriere on Saturday afternoon when masked gunmen opened fire on them. Mr McKinnon, from Scotland, died, while Mr Jackson, who is said to be from Accrington, Lancashire, was taken to hospital. Both Britons had lived on the island for some time, according to the St Lucia Times. The publication said Mr McKinnon had settled in St Lucia several years ago and had become a citizen of the country as the manager of the Soufriere Estate, a 2,000 hectare former working plantation. He is reported to have been a resident of Reunion, Choiseul, located on the southwest side of the island. Jackson, 72, has lived in St. Lucia for more than 30 years and is also a citizen, local media reported. He is also a well-known community activist and former director of the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation. “Everyone knew them. They were community people. This is sad,” one person told the St Lucia Times. Another local resident wrote on Facebook: “Still shaking. Close to my family’s house at a waterfront bar. Two people shot. One dead.” The incident reportedly sent shockwaves through the community of Soufriere, where residents said both men were known to each other. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a Briton who died and a Briton who was injured in St Lucia.” Saint Lucia has recorded 67 homicides this year.
