(Trinidad Express) “The blood of our children is on the ground right now; where is the Commissioner? Where is the minister?”
This was the question asked by a resident of La Retreat Road, Arima, yesterday morning, following a mass-shooting incident that resulted in the deaths of four young people, all members of two related families.
Among the deceased are three children: Faith Peterkin, ten; Ariana Peterkin, 14; and Shane Peterkin, 17. Nineteen-year-old Tiffany Peterkin was also killed in the attack.
The shooting also resulted in five other persons suffering gunshot injuries, among them two related minors aged 17 and 14.
The other victims were identified as Christian Stephen, 18; James Mohammed, 25; and Shenika Peterkin, 21.
Police said that around 12.25 a.m. yesterday, the nine victims were at a home along La Retreat Extension, Arima, with three other adults, when several loud explosions were heard.
Upon checking, relatives observed one man dressed in all black and a hoodie fleeing the scene. The suspect ran into some nearby bushes off the roadway.
An alarm was raised and the nine people were all taken to the Arima Hospital for treatment. However, four of the nine died while being treated.
Crime scene investigators visited the scene where they found and seized seven spent 7.62mm shells, 33 spent 5.56mm shells, one live 5.56mm round, and one live 9mm round.
The live 9mm round, the Express was told, had the marking “TTPS” on it, usually associated with legal rounds of ammunition dispensed to members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
Based on the different calibres of ammunition found on the scene, police believe that despite the witness statements that only one suspect was observed at the scene, there may have been at least three suspects who would have opened fire on the family.
When the Express visited the La Retreat community yesterday, relatives declined to speak with the media.
However, Roger Moore, councillor for Blanchisseuse/Santa Rosa, who was present, described the incident as “a sad day in our community”.
“Today is a sad day for us. We grieve, and we acknowledge that this is something we have to go through at this point. I know the family and this is why I felt like I had to come down.
“What I can say is that they are not coping too well at this point at this time. With nine shot and four killed, you can just imagine the grief. So I came down here to offer my condolences and to see what type of support we can give from the local government level, and from other aspects of the State…
“One murder is too much, and to be here and know that at least four persons are dead and so many more are injured, including children…it is something that hurts my heart and it is something that I hope and trust that the TTPS will bring to a conclusion soon,” Moore said.
While he acknowledged the community did have some incidents of violence in the past, he believed they were infrequent.
As a result, he said he hoped the police would bring this incident to a resolution to ensure it was not something repeated.
Where are the CoP
and National Security?
Residents of the area were much more direct in their comments, as they called on the offices of the Ministry of National Security and the Commissioner of Police to be outfitted with new personnel.
“Children are dead. Multiple children are dead. And multiple other children are injured. Where is the Commissioner of Police (Erla Christopher)? Where is the Minister of National Security (Fitzgerald Hinds)? This is not some gang leader or some random criminal killed. These are our children. This is our future. The blood of our children is on the ground right now; where is the Commissioner? Where is the minister? What are they doing?” a resident asked.
They said the children who were killed were “nice and sweet children”.
“We grow up in this community. We all know each other. We all help raise each other. We help raise those children. The word on the street is that the older ones had a situation with some other people. All that is fine. And while I’m not going to say anything deserves that kinda response, it is heart-breaking to know that children were killed just because they were in the same house as the intended targets.
“And then what’s frustrating me the most is that after all this, children are dead; why didn’t the police lock down the whole community? Search street by street, bush by bush, until the police held these suspects. Children are dead. The police and the army should be here!” one resident said.