(Trinidad Guardian) Four men were killed and two women injured in separate shootings in Diego Martin, Cunupia, and Santa Cruz between Sunday night and Monday morning bringing the country’s murder count over the Divali long weekend to 11.
According to reports, the latest string of murders began around 8.15 pm on Sunday night at River Estate, Diego Martin.
Caleb “Puppy” Mason, 24, of Cicada Extension, was standing outside a shop near his home when a gunman walking along the road fired several shots in his direction.
Mason was shot several times and his 59-year-old neighbour Robert “Twin” Forde, who was walking through a track near the shop at the time, was shot in his stomach.
Both men were taken to the St James Medical Facility and died while receiving emergency treatment.
Three hours later, police responded to a shooting at a bar located along the Southern Main Road in Cunupia.
Nishan Juman, 35, of Warner Street, St Augustine, and 47-year-old Vicky Boodoosingh, of Toolsie Trace, St Augustine, were liming at the bar when a vehicle parked in front of it.
A group of men got out and shot at the patrons before returning to the car and driving away.
Juman and Boodoosingh were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope for treatment.
Juman later succumbed to his injuries while Boodoosingh remained warded in a stable condition, up to late on Monday.
The third shooting took place at Cantaro Village, Santa Cruz, around 2 am on Sunday.
Residents reported hearing a volley of gunshots and when they went to check they found that 36-year-old resident Whitnol “Jimmy” Philbert and 39-year-old Kamara Bochay, of First Street, San Juan, had been shot.
Philbert died on the scene, while Bochay, who was shot in her stomach, was taken to hospital for treatment and remained in a stable condition up to late on Monday.
Meanwhile, homicide detectives have taken control of an investigation into an incident on Saturday in which a man from Freeport was beaten by a group of neighbours and set on fire.
The victim died in hospital, yesterday.
According to reports, around 1 am on Saturday, Clyde “Truck” McCleary, of Tewarie Circular, Arena Road, Freeport, went to a neighbour’s home and had an argument with him (the neighbour) and two of his friends.
The three men reportedly chopped McCleary several times before dousing him with a flammable liquid and setting his head on fire. They then threw him in a drain at the side of the road before running away.
McCleary was taken to the hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his multiple injuries on Monday afternoon.
Sources said that McCleary’s attackers are well known to police and they are likely to be arrested later this week.
On Sunday morning, 27-year-old Chelsea Julien, her boyfriend Akeil Keron “Crime B” Gloster, 22-year-old Marcus Noel, and three-year-old Nizam Owen were killed after their vehicle was shot at along the Diego Martin Main Road, while they were returning from a wedding.
Owen’s parents Nicholas “Calke Boss” Owen and Khadija Vilbara were in the vehicle but escaped with no life threatening injuries as Owen was grazed on his finger and Vilbara grazed on her breast.
The quadruple killing took place hours after 33-year-old Rodney Charles, of Picton Road, Diamond Village, San Fernando, was shot dead by two masked gunmen while bursting bamboo near his home on Saturday night.
Cornelius “Prince” Francis was murdered near his home at Belle Eau Road in Belmont shortly after midday on Sunday.
The 11 murders raised the country’s murder count for the year to 493.
Autopsies are expected to be performed on the victims’ bodies at the Forensic Science Centre, in St James, this week.
