St. Lucia mourns death of community leader

Saint Lucians —members of the island’s sporting fraternity in particular— were sent into a state of shock early Monday morning with the gruesome discovery of the lifeless body of Cassius Glasgow in his Cedars home, Castries. Police reports say that the corpse was discovered   at about 8 a.m. It appeared Glasgow had been shot in the head. Even before police had confirmed the incident graphic images of Glasgow’s naked and bloody body were all over the Internet.  

Coach of the Big Players Football Club, the 47-year-old man’s life revolved around the sport.  Also known as Cassy Boom, Glasgow was also closely associated with the Free Kick Foundation, which seeks to empower young people through football, and provides them opportunities to earn scholarships to United States-based universities. He played a critical role in the Marchand community, where he famously coached countless young football players.

As the deceased’s house was cordoned off with police tape and his body taken away, the cries and screams of devastated family and friends were endless. Shurble Stephens described Cassius as a loving, helpful, down-to-earth individual and praised him for his work with young kids. “Cassy boom was a really nice person,” she said, fighting back tears, “a really loving person. What I most admired about Cassy Boom, he would take children from all walks of life, train them, tell them stay off the streets and stay away from violence.”  

Another friend and colleague, coach Canis Dujon revealed how they tried to build back the community and rid it of the stigma attached to the area.  “He being lost, trust me, it’s a very sad moment not only for me but for the community and for the yutes that look at him as a father. His death will touch a lot of hearts, especially the young people in Marchand.” Black flags have been hoisted throughout parts of the community in remembrance of the Glasgow.

President of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee, Senator Fortuna Belrose, said it was most unfortunate that another community leader has been lost. She expressed hope that the perpetrators are brought to justice. “It shook me,” she added, “because this was a young man who gave his life to youth, working with young people, teaching them skills in sports, teaching them self-confidence, and how to find themselves early in life.”

Results from a post-mortem examination conducted on Monday revealed the cause of death as traumatic brain injury, secondary to a gunshot wound to the head. Glasgow’s death marked Saint Lucia’s first homicide for the year. On Tuesday, a male individual was taken into police custody in connection with the death.