A Barbarees Gardens home was thrown into mourning this morning following the stabbing death of 40-year-old John Baptiste at Loni’s Bar on Nelson Street, the City.
But perhaps the saddest member of the household this morning was seven-year-old student of Westbury Primary School, Shonte Mayers-Alleyne, who recognised him as daddy and did not attend school today.
Baptiste’s girlfriend, 28-year-old Shantel Mayers, told a team from Barbados TODAY that her late boyfriend saw Shonte as his daughter even though she is not the product of her relationship with Baptiste.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Mayers said the last time she spoke with Baptiste was around 11:10 last night. Mayers said Baptiste, who was self-employed, used to hang out in Nelson Street on Thursday nights.
She explained that Baptiste was one of the residents from Chapman Lane who was re-located by the Government to Barbarees Hill. Mayers’ sister, Bernadette Mayers, who resides at Nelson Street but was visiting her sister when a team from Barbados TODAY turned up, was visibly shaken at the tragic passing of Baptiste.
Bernadette said: “Simple so a man lost his life. The man did not do anyone anything.”
Mayers remembered her boyfriend of three years as “a very caring, fun-loving and jovial person”.
Baptiste was the father of two girls and the grandfather of one.