(Trinidad Express) Drama unfolded in downtown Port of Spain yesterday morning when gunmen stormed a jewellery store in the heart of the capital city in a daring robbery attempt and murdered a security guard.
And despite gathering thousands of dollars worth of jewellery, the killers escaped empty-handed when they dropped the bag containing the loot after shooting the guard.
The guard has since been identified as 41-year-old John Adams of Trou Macaque Road in Laventille.
His killing has pushed the murder toll for the year to date to 151, according to an Express tally.
It was shortly before midday that the two armed men walked into Anton’s Gold Rush, at Aboutique Mall, lower Frederick Street, and announced a hold-up.
One of the men pointed his weapon at employees in the store and ordered that they hand over the jewelry.
After gathering the jewellery, investigators said the men tried to escape but were approached by Adams, a father of three, before a struggle ensued.
One of the men placed the gun to Adams’ chest and pulled the trigger once.
As Adams slumped to the ground, police said, one of the men dropped the bag containing the jewellery and fled the scene. The other gunman, who also had some of the jewellery in his possession, was chased and tripped by another security officer in his bid to escape, said eyewitnesses. He, however, escaped.
Those pieces of jewelry were scattered along the roadway as he fell to the ground on Frederick Street.
Some passers-by scampered to get a hold of the stolen items, said the witnesses.
The jewellery recovered was estimated at more than TT$100,000, police said.
After being shot, Adams, who was employed at Knights Security Services, was rushed to Port of Spain General Hospital by Emergency Health Services (EHS), where he was pronounced dead while undergoing emergency surgery.
Police placed the mall under lockdown for most of the day as they dusted for fingerprints and searched the area for other clues.
Up to yesterday evening however, no one had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Among the officers who visited the scene were detectives from the Port of Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID) led by ASP Ajith Persad, along with officers from the Inter Agency Task Force.
President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association Gregory Aboud was also at the scene of the shooting.
He told reporters the country was being held to ransom by criminals, who in most cases are not arrested and prosecuted for crimes committed.
“The country is being lost because we have failed to correct this situation by making any arrests. All of the old talk, all of the shouting and the finger-pointing and complaining means absolutely nothing. We can expect more robberies, more tragedies and more deaths unless we start making arrests,” said Aboud.
He added that those in authority who are stating that crime has been reduced “should just zip it”.
“I believe that I speak for the majority of citizens that we feel less and less safe with each passing month. From incidents like this today it is evident that danger is increasing.”
