(Trinidad Guardian) The family of a woman, who was among five people murdered in separate incidents in Morvant, Tunapuna and Valencia, say too many women are being killed in the country.
The murders occurred between Monday evening and up to midday yesterday, hours before the State of Emergency, which had implemented a 10 pm to 5 am curfew on citizens, is lifted today.
According to police, in the first incident around 6 pm on Monday, officers on patrol in St Barb’s reported hearing gunshots and went to Pelican Extension, Morvant.
Upon checking, they found residents tending to two injured men—Jabari Williams and Dennis Fleary.
Officers learned that gunmen in a blue SUV opened fire on the two.
The two men were taken by residents to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where Williams, 27, succumbed to his injuries.
Fleary remains in critical condition.
In the second incident, hours later around 9.45 pm, one man was killed and two others injured during a shooting at Upper First Trace, Maingot Road, Tunapuna
The victim was identified as Jafe Randy Phillip, 42, of Bastia Trace, Moruga.
Police said he along with a 29-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, both from Tunapuna, were liming at a house when four armed men came from a hilly area at the back of the house, armed with guns.
The woman along with Phillip, who was her boyfriend, and her male relative, attempted to flee the scene as the men opened fire on them.
The gunmen then escaped.
Phillip was shot in the head and died at the scene.
The woman was shot in the right hand and her relative sustained a wound to the right shoulder.
The two were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, where they were treated and released.
In the third incident at Celestine Trace, Morvant, Abigail Lewis and a PH taxi driver were murdered around 1 am yesterday.
Lewis, 33, a mother of three, was chopped to death and one of her arms was reportedly severed in the attack.
The man, who remained unidentified up to yesterday, was shot.
Police said the man was the intended target and Lewis was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lewis’ sister, Cleo Lewis, yesterday said the man, who was killed was a driver the family hired from time to time, was growing close to her sister. But she was told they were just friends.
She said the last time she saw Abigail, who lived in St James, was at a reunion for their grandfather on Saturday.
Cleo added when she heard the screams in the early hours of yesterday morning, she had no idea it would turn out to be her sister.
“I was shocked because I was expecting her to be home in St James. She was always forgiving, even when she did something wrong she would admit to it.”
Cleo lamented the crime situation in the country.
“Too much of women are dying, not only women, too much of people are dying, our country is dying because we cry every day. People apparently stop valuing life. I am fed up and I don’t believe I am the only family that is fed up. My sister’s life was taken from her and she did not deserve it!”
Meanwhile, police were also investigating the murder of Emmanuel Peters, who was shot dead by unknown gunmen around 11 am yesterday in Valencia. Peters celebrated the birth of a baby in October.
Investigations are continuing into all incidents.
