A man is dead, after he was shot by his brother-in-law.
It's a tragic end to long-standing familial tension that came to a head
with the ultimate act of violence.
And while it sounds horrific it might not be as cut and dry as it
seems.
Cherisse Halsall traveled to Burrell Boom to get the story.
At 2:00 this morning, 42-year-old Denise Gabourel was attacked by her
machete-wielding husband Roy Gabourel. It was far from their first
altercation, with the cycle of violence that characterized their
relationship having been witnessed throughout the years by many who knew
them. Their son Kaelen freely admits that it was a troublesome dynamic.
Kaelen Gabourel - Son of the deceased
"It was just like a switch you know today it's nice, today it's not nice
and that's how it's been for a while. I knew that he had a mental condition
and he needed help but he didn't want to take any help from anyone. So we
just tried to let him be and deal with it from time to time. This morning
they, I guess they had an argument about something that my father wanted to
do and then it escalated from there and then I guess he pulled his machete
at my mom and then hit her against the rock one time and then she fled from
there and contacted me to go to and assist her. When my mom called me I was
on the way to go and assist the situation. And that's when I heard the
gunshots I was approximately a quarter mile from reaching. When I heard the
shot I already knew what it was I knew exactly who it was meant for. Maybe
If I was five minutes earlier, maybe things would have turned out
different."
And while Kaelen Gabourel laments what might have been, the couple's
neighbour, who wished to remain off camera, says that when it came to Roy
it was one threat after the other.
Neighbour
"Well not a good one I would say, no, I don't know how often he has been
threatening her like that but at least not like, what I know of,
physically. It has been happening for years and many times, police have
been involved a lot of the time but they never have been able to hold him
for long."
And this morning, things reached a deadly tipping point:
Neighbour
"Well I woke up with gunshots outside. It was five of them that I heard and
that's how we, me and my husband woke up and went to check it out that's
when we saw two men outside one of his. I think the other one was my
father-in-law but i'm not so sure who it was but, and then it didn't take
long and the police came. It got me scared, you know, life is so short you
could never know and for me I would have said that he should just have
injured him but you know some are different than others so, but he did
definitely stop him, I like what Devin did that he stopped the guy from
hurting his wife so for that part I am glad. He is, you know, he thought
everything and every land was his that's how he was even that road there
which I don't know if ti belongs to this piece here or if it's government
but he thought it belonged to that other land yes and he has been
threatening a lot of people, so he sometimes got really mad and yesterday
he was jumping around with the machete and I don't know what happened
during the night why he would run after his wife with a machete. I would
think that somehow Denise went after whatever Roy wanted or went to check
something and then Roy was there with the Machete."
But whatever struggles Gabourel had, they came to an end today when his
brother in Law Dylan Flowers fired the bullets that stopped him in his
tracks and ultimately took his life. Here's what Flowers told the police
Sr. Supt Hilberto Romero
"Dylan Flores who reported that he was coming to the aid of his sister when
he was approached by Roy Gabourel with a machete who threatened him. He
mentioned that he told Gabourel to keep far away from him with the Machete
and Gabourel advanced towards him and threatened him. He then fired a
warning shot and Gabourel still kept coming at which time he then fired
shots at Gabourel hitting him to the chest. The lifeless body of Roy
Gabourel was found at the area and taken to the KHMH thereafter where he
was pronounced dead on arrival."
But was it murder or self defence? That's a question that will be left for
the Director of Public Prosecution to decide. And in the aftermath of this
shocking family tragedy, those left behind will have to fill in the blanks
that will determine that decision.
The couple shared a number of children and we'll hear from another
relative later on in the news.
Police say that Flowers fired a warning shot prior to shooting Gabourel
but that Gabourel refused to back down.
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