Former Aberdeen hotel manager Donnie McKinnon has been shot dead at a bar in St Lucia.
His friend, 72-year-old photographer Peter Jackson, has also been injured in the incident in the town of Soufriere on Saturday afternoon.
Local reports allege two masked gunmen entered Steve’s Bar on Market Road and began shooting at the two men who were on a balcony.
Mr McKinnon was general manager at Marcliffe Hotel and Spa in Aberdeen from 2007 to 2009 before moving to St Lucia to manage the Soufriere Estate.
It is understood that earlier in his life, he attended Lochaber High School in Fort William.
Mr Jackson, originally from Lancashire, is said to have been living on the island for around 30 years.
A local told the St Lucia Times: “Everyone knew them. They were community people. This is sad.”
Investigations ongoing
It is understood local police are investigating the incident that happened on Saturday afternoon.
According to The Telegraph, a spokesman from the local council said: “The authorities are investigating a shooting incident which took place in Soufriere on Saturday afternoon which left one man dead and another nursing injuries at the hospital.”
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died and a British man who has been injured in St Lucia.”
‘A lovely, unassuming guy’
Owner of the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, Ross Spence paid tribute to Mr McKinnon who had worked under his father, Stewart Spence.
They remembered him with “great fondness”.
In a statement, it said: “All of us at the Marcliffe Hotel are devastated to hear of the death of Donnie McKinnon in such terrible and violent circumstances.
“We are all part of the Marcliffe family – staff past and present – and to lose Donnie in such a way has deeply saddened us all.
“We will remember him as the lovely, unassuming and very popular guy we all knew; he will be sorely missed.
“We send our love and condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.”
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