(Trinidad Express) A Glock nine-millimetre pistol was found beneath the body of a fire officer after she and two men were ambushed and shot several times by gunmen in Sangre Gran¬de on Tuesday night.
At least this is the police’s version of what happened.
Simone Ramsaroop, 47, of Rowland Avenue, Trincity, died at the scene while the other two men, one aged 38 and a 23-year-old of Coalmine, Sangre Gran¬de, remained in critical condition at the Sangre Grande Hospital up to last night.
Ramsaroop lived in Trincity with her husband.
Police said that around 8.30 p.m., Fire Officer Ramsaroop and the two men were in a blue Nissan Versa motor car heading to Jacob Coat, North Eastern Settlement, Sangre Grande, to attend a christening ceremony.
Ramsaroop was dri¬ving at the time.
As they got near the house, she slowed the car near the Dudes Man Mini Mart when four gunmen dressed in dark-col¬oured clothing ran out.
The men then pointed a mix of automatic assault rifles and nine-millimetre pistols at the car, opened fire and ran off.
As Ramsaroop’s lifeless body lay slumped over the steering wheel, the two other men who were injured got out of the car and ran off. They were later assisted by a nearby resident who took them to the Sangre Grande Hospital.
Officers of the Emergency Response Patrol were first on the scene where they observed Ramsaroop’s body as it lay in the car.
The officers also noticed a Glock pistol protruding from beneath her body.
Her body was later moved to a mortuary in Sangre Grande while police seized the gun.
Who fired first?
Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports surrounding the shooting death of Ramsaroop.
A source told the Express last night that on Tuesday night, Ramsaroop and the two other men were not heading to a christening.
The source claimed that Ramsaroop and the two other men stopped near the Dudes Man Mini Mart and opened fire on a group of men liming there.
They said members of the group returned fire, striking Ramsaroop and the two men several times about their bodies. The two men got out of the car and ran off, but were later taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital by a resident while Ramsaroop died on the scene. The gun she allegedly used was found beneath her lifeless body.
A senior Fire Service officer told the Express yesterday that they were trying to determine what happened on Tuesday night.
