(Trinidad Guardian) It was supposed to have been a day of celebration as Kendell Francis turned 18-years-old on Wednesday.
While the morning started off with a hunting expedition, it ended in horror after Francis and his brother-in-law, Marlon Clarke, were shot dead as they were returning to their Rio Claro home.
Francois’ father, James Francis, was also shot and is in a critical condition.
The motive? A dispute over $200, relatives believe.
Prior to this incident, the suspect had been on the run from the police in connection with firearm-related offences and had been hiding out in the village for several months, police said.
Francis, James, Clarke and two male relatives left early that morning to hunt and were returning home around 2.20 pm.
James and Francis were less than a quarter mile from their home when the suspect walked in front of their vehicle along Oliver Trace.
James asked him for the money. A dispute ensued and the suspect slapped James. Francis went to his father’s defence and this led to a scuffle.
The suspect pulled out a gun and fired at the men.
Speaking at their Cushe Village home yesterday, Francis’ sister Petrina, 19, said her father drove home and alerted her mother about the incident.
She said her mother flagged down a car and asked that he be taken to the health facility.
She then drove the vehicle to the scene where her brother and her brother-in-law were lying on the ground bleeding.
She explained that they ran a parlour at their home and the suspect had credited $200 worth of items some time ago.
She recalled that on Tuesday her father had also asked the suspect for the $200.
Noting that Wednesday’s incident was the first time the suspect was violent towards her family, she said, “He could have given us the money or just forgot about it.”
She said Kendell and one of their cousins’ birthday was on Wednesday. “Two of them had plans for the evening. They went to hunt and were going to cook in the evening.”
Being a peaceful community, she said the incident had left everyone in shock. With the suspect still on the run, she said, “We are fearful. I did not sleep at all. I was studying with my family. I was studying if the man was going to come back last night… I want the police to arrest (him).”
Petrina said her brother graduated from Biche Secondary School last year and worked with her father cutting trees.
She said they had not told her father that Francis and Clarke had died as he had to undergo surgery.
She described Clarke, an AC technician, and her brother as being quiet and helpful. “
I do not know why this happened to him and my brother-in-law. They are quiet people. They do not come around nobody, don’t do anybody anything at all. They were trying to be helpful to my dad,” she lamented.
