Antigua: Overseas specialist to assist with surgery for 13-year-old Bathlodge shooting victim

Antigua and Barbuda: An overseas specialist will be arriving in Antigua and Barbuda to assist with the treatment of 13-year-old Joshua Meade, who sustained a gunshot wound to the face in the fatal Bathlodge shooting.

Joshua remains in hospital as preparations for his surgery continue. According to government officials, it was due to the difficult nature of the teen’s injuries that the hospital approached a foreign surgeon for assistance.

The specialist is expected to travel to Antigua this week and work with the local medical team during Joshua’s treatment.

The teenager sustained his injury in a shooting incident at a residence in Bathlodge on Monday night. This attack left a 20-year-old Saquania Anthony dead and also injured Joshua’s 24-year-old sibling, Kelvin, who has been discharged from the hospital.

Anthony was killed inside her house during the incident. Her death, along with the injuries suffered by the two brothers, has raised concerns about increasing gun violence and the availability of illegal firearms in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Government issued the medical update on Thursday after the post-Cabinet press briefing. Director General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s office Maurice Merchant said that the Cabinet was asking the public to pray for Joshua and his family as he was continuing his recovery.

Police have also made progress on the investigation into the shooting incident. A suspect has already been arrested in connection to Anthony’s murder and the injuries that the two brothers sustained.

For Joshua's family, their main focus remains on his medical treatment. The surgery is expected to be an important part of his recovery following the facial injury.

No information has been disclosed by the authorities on the surgeon traveling to Antigua, the procedure, or for how long Joshua will be admitted in the hospital.

Investigation into the Bathlodge shooting incident is still under process.