Sebastian Birch denies role in gas station shooting after eight days in custody without charge

Kingston man Sebastian Birch has publicly denied any role in the fatal shooting of a young woman at a gas station, saying a photograph widely shared on social media and in news reports was taken several nights before the attack and has been used to paint him as a suspect.

Birch said that on the day of the shooting he was nowhere near the scene. He stated he was completing a delivery, which he says is backed by video, then went straight home and has an alibi. The image circulating online, he said, was captured earlier when he stopped at a popular spot for food, entered the bar for a beer, and was photographed out of context.

In a detailed account of that earlier night, Birch said his uncle had sent him to buy chicken at a KFC. He then stopped at a nearby bar, drank a beer and played a gaming machine, winning $4,500. After confusion over the payout — including a claim that the machine sometimes fails to print a ticket — he accepted the money. He said that is when the photograph was taken, several days before the young woman was shot.

Birch said he first learned the picture was online after a FedEx delivery run, when a friend and then his sister called to warn him. He reported to Olympic Police Station, where he said officers released him. Still uneasy, he returned the next day. Officers from Elletson Road Police Station collected him for questioning, and he was locked up for eight days at Denham Town lock-up. He said investigators from Half-Way Tree, Elletson Road and Hunts Bay later indicated he was not of interest to them.

He was not charged. Instead, he said he was placed on pre-charge bail as a possible person of interest and must report twice a week for three months. The photograph at issue, he confirmed, shows him with two other men.

Birch said the fallout has upended his life. He has been branded a murderer online, some people have claimed he is dead, and others have threatened to harm him. He works in construction and bearer labour but said clients no longer want him nearby. He also alleged that while collecting belongings at a station, an officer pointed him out as the youth who shot the woman at the gas station and that other officers made gun-finger gestures toward him.

A sister described the family as traumatised, saying relatives have abandoned gatherings, police have visited the home without a warrant, and public threats have forced new security measures. She said Birch has lost contracts and will likely need professional help.

Birch asked the public and media to stop circulating unverified claims, saying accusations are not proof. He wants those who spread the photograph — and whoever committed the crime — held to account, and he asked for privacy and fairness as the matter continues.