(Trinidad Express) Two security officers were killed and a third left in critical condition, after they were shot by criminals who carried out a robbery at the entrance to the La Romaine, San Fernando branch of Pennywise on Monday afternoon.
Responding police officers followed leads to Pond Street, La Romaine, a crime hotspot.
Police have confirmed that they killed four suspects.
The robbery happened at 5 p.m. when sales money was being moved from the compound by the armed, uniformed guards.
A portion of the money was stolen by the killers, police said.
The security officers were leaving the compound in a white 4×4 pick up when the criminals sprayed the vehicle with multiple rounds of gunfire.
When the guards opened the doors to their vehicle to get out, they were shot again.
One of those bullets grazed the cheek of a primary school-aged boy who was on the compound.
The criminals grabbed the cash and escaped in a vehicle along the South Trunk Road.
Within moments of the heist, the store’s management locked and secured the building, with shoppers and staff inside as they awaited police officers to arrive.
Police officers of the San Fernando Cid, Southern Division Task force and other units responded within minutes and took two of the injured to the San Fernando General Hospital. One died at the hospital.
A third guard died at the scene.
Shortly after the police arrived and secured the premises, shoppers and staff left the compound.
The getaway vehicle, a Nissan Tiida, was found on the M2 Ring Road, several kilometres away.
Snr. Supt. Richard Smith, head of the Southern Division said 4 of the suspects were shot by police inside a house at Pond Street La Romaine during a shootout.
Smith said the suspects had abandoned their initial getaway car along the M2 Ring Road and robbed a passing motorist of his vehicle.
That stolen car was later found abandoned and police were able to locate the suspects who fled into the house at Pond Street.
