09/09/2026
I wasn’t close to my little cousin, so I’m not going to perform grief or pretend that we had a relationship we didn’t have. But he was still my family, another young life was taken, and the larger issue needs to be addressed.
Being from down that dirt road in St. Stephen, I know there isn’t much for people to do. That location has become the local club and gathering spot, which means the people operating it have a responsibility to make safety a priority.
This is now the third death at that location. Three deaths are not an isolated incident. That is a pattern that demands immediate change.
Alcohol, drugs, weapons, and conflict cannot continue to mix with inadequate security. Everyone entering should be searched. Anyone caught with a weapon, selling or using drugs, fighting, threatening people, or repeatedly creating problems should be permanently banned. The property needs trained security, working cameras, controlled entry points, and clear safety procedures.
This is not about taking away the only place people have to gather. It is about making sure people can gather without another family receiving a devastating phone call.
People should be able to go out, enjoy themselves, and return home alive.
I’m speaking as someone who comes from that dirt road and wants better for St. Stephen. We cannot keep accepting violence simply because there are limited entertainment options in our town.
Three deaths are three too many. Something has to change before another life is lost.
Prayers for his parents, siblings, children, loved ones, and everyone directly affected. 🙏🏾
Omarie Gaillard, 24, has been charged with murder in the slaying of a man in the parking lot of a St. Stephen nightclub. Multiple weapons and more than one person may have been involved. (Full story below.)
