A moment of silence for the murdered pump attendant at the Tackling gas station. Photo Today / Andrew Bishop
St. Maarten – A memorial was held for the late Gerard Saulveur who was killed during a robbery at the Sol gas station on Monday evening in Cole Bay. The memorial was held at the service station on the spot where the pump attendant was shot to death after he apparently refused to hand over the money he had collected from customers.
The memorial attracted a number of business owners from the Orange Grove area and was officiated by Lay Reader James Ferris who read the scripture and called on businesses to be more vigilant while conducting their duties. Some of the owners called for stiffer penalties for perpetrators who blatantly commit offences with out regard for the laws and the community as a whole.
The managing director of the Sol Service Station Ronald Tackling could not hold back the tears for his 61-year-old friend Gerard Saulveur who he had known for a number of years. He said that he was very saddened by the events that took place on his property and called on the justice system to take heed to what took place.
“Just imagine that the killer was only recently released from the Pointe Blanche Prison on good conduct. What kind of good conduct saw prison officials in the killer? Now a family lost its breadwinner. What will the family do now?”
Tackling said that he may have to introduce some “very drastic measures,” at the service station. “We have been asking for the last 16 years for additional security. We cannot continue like this.” He is planning to meet with all the station owners on the island to determine the way forward.
Memorial for pump attendant
