(Trinidad Guardian) A 38-year-old man was murdered and another injured in a shooting at KFC’s St Helena outlet on Saturday night.
According to reports, the shooting took place around 10.30 pm while the fast food franchise’s branch at St Helena Junction was filled with customers.
Eyewitnesses told police that two men entered the restaurant and walked towards a customer, who was standing in the line waiting to place his order.
One of the men drew a gun and fired several shots in the customer’s direction.
Their intended victim, who was later identified as Akino Suya, of Building Five, Maloney Gardens, Arouca, was shot in his head, while another customer, who was not identified by police, was hit by a stray bullet.
The two men then ran out of the restaurant and into a getaway vehicle that was parked a short distance away.
Suya succumbed to his injury on the scene and was pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer (DMO). The other victim was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where he was treated and warded for observations. Police said his wound was deemed non-life threatening.
The incident was captured by the restaurant’s CCTV camera system and police were reviewing the recording in an effort to identify Suya’s attackers, up to late yesterday.
Homicide detectives said that Suya was known to police and was possibly followed to the location by his attackers.
When a news team from the T&T Guardian visited the restaurant around midday yesterday, the doors were locked and signs were placed on the door indicating that it was closed because of the incident.
Detectives of the Region Two Homicide Bureau are continuing investigations.
Suya’s murder was the third recorded between Friday night and yesterday evening. The three incidents raised the murder toll for the year to 189.
The first incident took place around 8 pm on Friday night at a bar at Nagee Road, Princes Town.
Police said Bryan Jackson, 39, of New Grant, was liming at the bar when he had an argument with a fellow patron. The man reportedly drew a knife and stabbed Jackson twice in his chest. Jackson died on the scene and his 23-year-old attacker was arrested by police shortly after. He will remain in custody until police complete their investigation and consult the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later this week.
Several hours after Jackson’s murder police were summoned to the scene of another murder, this time in Carenage.
Around 1 am on Saturday, police received reports of gunshots at Rodney Street, Point Cumana Road, Carenage. When they arrived on the scene they found resident Damien Jemmot lying at the side of the road with several gunshot wounds. He died on the scene.
Autopsies are expected to be performed on the bodies of the three victims at the Forensic Science Centre in St James today.
