By Shermain Bique-Charles
When 33-year-old Dane Anthony and 32-year-old Morrisa Henry left the resort where they work together on Tuesday night as usual, the couple never thought that their next few hours would be spent undergoing life-saving surgeries at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.
Anthony and Henry, who have been described by their friends and co-workers at Carlisle Bay as “happily in love”, were gunned down and later stabbed several times on the hotel’s property at about 11.30pm.
It is alleged that a co-worker well known to the couple pulled the trigger.
“He left work early. He clocked out at around 9.30am. He told us that he wasn’t feeling well. It seems he had a plan to do what he did. He wanted to kill them because he was obsessed with the girl,” an employee close to Henry told Observer yesterday.
Henry joined the hotel’s team recently and worked in the kitchen. Anthony, her boyfriend, was employed as a steward.
“We would all go home together. Morrisa and Dane left before us on Tuesday night. Minutes after they left, we heard the gunshots. I had no idea that it was my friend being gunned down,” the distraught employee said. “They didn’t even make it past the kids’ club,” the employee added.
Henry received gunshot wounds to the head, stomach, and chest, while Anthony was shot in his back, shoulders, and arm.
It appears that after Henry was shot, she was also stabbed resulting in additional wounds, including several defensive gashes to the palm of her hand.
The pair are currently in the Intensive Care Unit and family members have been asking for donations of blood.
“I saw her at the ICU. She couldn’t speak. She winked at me so she recognised me. Only one of her three children has been told what happened. The eldest son who is 14 years old isn’t taking it easy. The other two children are too young to be told anything right now. They are with their dad. We are praying that she makes it,” a close friend said.
“Her head was bandaged. I didn’t like what I saw. I don’t believe this happened. I don’t understand how he could do that.”
Henry is expected to undergo further surgery on her hand.
Meanwhile, some of the couple’s co-workers have alleged that reports had previously been made to resort bosses about violent tendencies on the part of the suspected assailant.
Carlisle Bay’s General Manager Brian Murphy told Observer that investigations into the incident are underway and declined to comment further.
A statement issued by police yesterday said circumstances surrounding the attack were unclear but that both victims had been taken to hospital with multiple wounds.
“The doctors at the hospital said they are both in stable condition.
“Two men are assisting the police with their investigations. The police are appealing to anyone with information surrounding this incident to contact the Bolans Police Station at 462-1080,” the statement added.