(Trinidad Guardian) A 15-year-old boy was among three people killed on Saturday night in Diego Martin. A fourth victim was shot and wounded.
The victims were identified as Joseph Spring, 36, aka “Balls” of Upper Cemetery Street Extension, Diego Martin; Kevin Kyle Spring, 15, a Form Two pupil of Tranquility Government Secondary School of Upper Cemetery Street Extension, Diego Martin and Rondell John, 33, a labourer/farmer of Waterman Road, Belmont.
Police said Orwal Spring, 57, a gardener/ handyman, also of Upper Cemetery Street Extension is warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital in a serious but stable condition. According to a police report, at about 7.55 pm loud explosions were heard coming from the Upper Cemetery Street, Diego Martin, area.
Residents made checks and saw Joseph Spring lying on the road atop a flight of stairs. Kevin was found lying on the first few steps at the top and John was found lying on the lower portion of the flight of stairs. Orwal was taken to the St James Medical Complex where he was treated and warded.
Members of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region One and a members of the Homicide Bureau Crime Scene Unit responded.
Officers recovered 32 spent 9 mm shell casings, three fragments, two .40 spent shell casings, five 5.56 spent shell casing and two projectiles from the scene.
A gold Nissan Almera, belonging to Joseph Spring that bore a gunshot to the front bonnet and windscreen, was also processed and taken to the West End Police Station.
Speaking with the Guardian Media, Kevin’s grandfather, who wished not to be named, said his grandson was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I lie down sleeping and all of a sudden I hear gunshots when I wake up. I don’t know what to think or expect. I said well, the gunmen in my yard shooting up and I thought they trying to shoot me, so I trying to get off the bed and the mosquito net tied around the bed and my foot hook into the mosquito net and I end up on the floor because I panicking.
“When I come out my son telling me four fellas now pass with thing around they head and mask and when we go around the corner three men lie down on the ground—two dead. John went to work with us on Friday and the other was my grandson who was washing cars for a living because he have no school and he start washing cars since last year,” he added.
Kevin’s grandfather said when he saw his grandson dead he lost all his senses. He said: “My nephew saying I could do with a little help here please. I get shot but I wasn’t really thinking and listening. Nothing was registering.”
“We are trying to make sense of everything,” he added.
He said Kevin took care of his five-year-old brother.
“He took care of his brother since he was born. Nobody wouldn’t have anything bad to say about KK. He tried to please everybody. I can’t understand why someone like KK would get gunned down like a dog like this,” the grandfather said.
In an unrelated murder, a 27-year-old man was shot dead in Port-of-Spain on Saturday. The victim was identified as Jarrick Hoyte of Sobo Village, San Fernando.
Police reported that at about 1.45 pm residents of Calvary Hill, East Dry River, Port of Spain, heard several gunshots ring out in the area.
Officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) responded and during checks found Hoyte’s body on the ground. He was shot multiple times about the body. Several spent 9mm shells were also found on the scene.
