(Trinidad Express) Two more homicides overnight took the number of killings this month to 59, making it the most violent in modern history.
The homicide toll has surpassing that of the month of June 2008 when there were 57 killings.
On Monday night Ricky Harripersad, 37, of Santa Cecelia Trace, San Francique, died after being stabbed. The suspect- a close male relative – is on the run from police.
At around 9.30 p.m. Harripersad and the 29 year old male relative had an altercation in front of Harripersad’s home.
Police were told the suspect pulled out an object and stabbed Harripersad several times to the neck.
The suspect ran off and eluded police last night. Harripersad died while undergoing treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital. And in Trou Macaque, Ricardo Precott, 20, was gunned down in his home.
Criminologist Renee Cummings posted on her Facebook page that the revelry of Carnival should not overshadow the country’s violence.“Carnival is the ultimate form of escapism, for many citizens of T&T, including myself. I have been having lots of fun, on Facebook, discussing the road march. While the revelry offers some respite, stay woke people”, Cummings wrote.
“Yesterday, as the homicide rate hit 57 we went back ten years to 2008 when the homicide rate was also 57 making June of that year the most violent in the country’s history. Yesterday, that changed. January 2018 will equal June 2008 or surpass it if the killing continues today and tomorrow. 2008 was the bloodiest year in the country’s history with 547 homicides”, she said.
“When will we take a serious look at violence prevention and homicide reduction?” asked Cummings.
