Barbados: Six robbed; left to die in fire  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados remains shell shocked today as it struggles with the reality that what local media are calling “a scene straight out of the drama series CSI” could happen in the relatively peaceful island.  What appears to have started as a robbery turned into a murder scene as the suspects reportedly set the building ablaze before fleeing, leaving the victims trapped inside.
Barbados Free Press immediately began blogging:
Sorrow first. The outrage will wait – but no window bars will contain it.
There will be time later for the righteous outrage that is building across this country – outrage that is not directed only at the two pieces of worthless garbage who cutlass chopped and threw gasoline bombs at these young women.
No, there will be time for all that later.
For now, we grieve, we pray and we do what we can for those who cannot stop sobbing.
In another post, the blog posts information on the suspects, prefacing it by saying:
Somebody knows something – it’s a small island.
Meanwhile, Barbados Underground‘s “Gospel Knight Rider”, noting that “people are again crying out for hanging” in the wake of the incident, comments:
THIS IS RIDICULOUS…You see we have leaders that are void of principles, they take stands based on public opinion and in the case of hanging; they (our leaders) stand with the international community (Amnesty International and the likes).
The post goes on to extoll the virtues of “Biblical principles that made western civilization so strong”, summing up by saying:
Let Tudor Street be a wake up call.
Barbados Free Press is concerned about the way in which the country's leadership has (or has not) responded to the tragedy:
The second largest* mass murder in our country’s modern history has produced not one word of condolence or concern from Prime Minister David Thompson. Not so much as a press release, let alone a personal appearance.
And that is not the David Thompson we all know.
In light of this, citizens are naturally questioning if the Prime Minister is fit enough to return to his duties after returning a week ago from two months of medical treatment in the USA.
Prime Minister Thompson must be unable to appear in public – or he would have by now.
The concern over the PM’s lack of appearance is not really about this horrible crime.
We know that David Thompson’s heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims. Of course he cares and grieves with the rest of us. The David Thompson we know would want to show some leadership and compassion in all the circumstances. Normally, he would have appeared by now – but that means that he is unable to appear.
At a time when the country needs strong leadership, the Prime Minister's illness is just one more thing Barbadians must grapple with.  Global Voices will continue to follow discussions in the island's blogosphere.