Concern for the safety of a missing teen with special needs continues to grow more than three days after he was last seen at his Willikies home.
Distraught relatives and friends of Shamar Harrigan of Willkies say the young man, who has autism, needs his regular medication.
While Harrigan is 19, he is said to have the mental capacity of a seven-year-old.
Shauntel Barton, Harrigan’s sister, told yesterday’s Observer AM show that the family had been told he had been sighted at the old Miami Supermarket building on Lower All Saints Road on Tuesday.
“We had other people in the area saying they would have interacted with him during that time. He didn’t say much because … he is not able to communicate as fluently as you and myself.
“We got that lead but it went cold. No one has seen him since Tuesday night. It’s just really concerning to us at this point,” Barton said.
When asked about police assistance, his sister said that some help was offered but officers are not among the family’s search party.
“We haven’t gotten any information from an officer to say that we are out here searching. On Wednesday night we were very concerned about the upstairs of the Miami building so we called CID for some assistance going up to search. They did come and everything was cleared. In terms of being on foot with us, no,” Barton stated.
Harrigan is described as a food lover who may be spotted in the vicinity of cook shops or food stalls. Barton suggested that anyone who spots him might offer him a snack while they call police. His favourite treat is said to be Shirley biscuits.
Family friend Annika Joseph told Observer on Wednesday that Harrigan’s loved ones were “very concerned about him”.
“He’s an innocent youngster who doesn’t mean any harm to anybody; we don’t want him mistaken for someone who might do a person any harm,” she explained.
Joseph said Harrigan had never gone missing before. He is said to have left his home at 3pm on November 14, dressed in a black and white shirt and light blue jeans. He also has a pink and blue backpack. He is described as 5ft 3 and dark in complexion.
“His family is distraught. His last known meal was Monday,” Joseph added.
Anyone who spots Harrigan is asked to call the family at 789-5164 / 776-3922 / 726-3812.
Police spokesman Inspector Frankie Thomas told Observer last night that efforts continued to find Harrigan.