Donna Samuel’s voice was subdued, barely audible, as she talked to the Source Friday about the death of her two sons – 33-year-old Kayan Payne and 29-year-old Kanta Payne. They were shot while playing dominoes near the Water Gut bus shanty in Christiansted on March 28.
“It is not illegal to pay dominoes, is it?” she asked plaintively. Samuel said both of her sons were “much beloved in the community.”
When asked about their lifestyles, she said, “They pursued trades – carpentry, mechanics.”
Samuel said both were residents of Estate Grove Place and Kanta was employed at Pepper Tree as a maintenance person and Kayan worked at Harold Hodge as a water deliverer and heavy equipment mechanic.
Both men were also talented musicians, she said. They played African drums in such groups as St. Croix Sankoffa.
A friend, Ifa Massey, said about the brothers, “They were very successfully raised, very friendly, respectful and hardworking.”
As an indication of a community in mourning, on Monday, all the proceeds from Yucca restaurant in Frederiksted will go to the family.
A site has also been set up on the internet to help the family with funeral costs at https://www.youcaring.com/donna-asheba-samuel-550895#.VwZ1zlGGVgg.email
Posted on the site are comments from many Virgin Islanders.
Former Delegate Donna Christiansted offered her condolences to the family along with a donation.
Aminah Saleem said on the website, “Our oneness is our greatest joy, and our greatest source of pain. We know each other, love and hurt each other sometimes, and grieve, cry, and feel each other’s pain. So let us come together and use our collective oneness to support this family. We can do this. They belonged to all of us.”
The two deaths were the fourth and fifth homicides on St. Croix since the beginning of the year, bringing the territory’s homicide total for the year to 15.
Preliminary information revealed that the victims were playing dominoes in the vicinity of the Harmony Grocery Store when a man sitting in a red SUV backed up towards the victims, got out of the vehicle and started shooting.
The suspect then fled the area in the vehicle.
