(Trinidad Guardian) A late-night visit to a fast food strip ended with a popular music producer being murdered the wounding of two other men, including a Trinibad artiste, on Tuesday.
Police said Kaveer Alvin Nandram, 28, and two men, both 22, went to the Off D Avenue food strip on Carlos Street around 11.15 pm to order food.
As they left one of the stalls, the trio was shot.
Nandram got into his white Toyota Fielder Wagon and drove down Carlos Street, but stopped his car near Adam Smith Square when he realised he was bleeding.
The two other bleeding men ran back into the food strip, where they remained.
Officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) were called in and took the trio to the hospital, where Nandram was declared dead.
The two injured men received emergency surgery early yesterday and were being treated at the hospital up to last evening.
St Clair police and officers from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region I visited the scene.
Police found several spent shells and a gun at the scene.
Investigators said the shooting may have been related to Trinibad music, which has been associated with gang activity. Officers were, however, unsure if Nandram was the intended target.
Speaking with Guardian Media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, Nandram’s father, Lochan, lamented the spate of crime in the country.
Noting that Ariapita Avenue was a fairly well-known public space, the elder Nandram said he did not feel anywhere in T&T was safe anymore.
“He just went for food. It’s just so unsafe. Anywhere is unsafe in Trinidad. With these gangs, if anybody wants to hit somebody it can be anywhere. This country is not safe anymore,” he said.
He said Nandram was the eldest of his two sons and was best known for his passion for music and entertainment.
He said his son was not involved in criminal activity and worked hard to establish himself as a music professional through his DJ Go Global brand.
“He was aware of all the circumstances of Trinidad with gang warfare and thing. He was always respectful to his family and he always listened to us when we spoke to him about it. He tried to protect himself as much as possible but he was passionate about the opportunity of the music. He was a creative mind, he wasn’t in any gang or anything like that. He always said he wanted to be a millionaire.”
Nandram said his last interaction with his son was earlier that evening, when he said he was leaving to go to his Valsayn studio.
Guardian Media visited the food strip where the shooting happened but managers declined to comment on the incident.
One Carlos Street resident who asked not to be named said she did not know there was a murder nearby but was concerned about the safety of the community.
“It’s not a nice thing, but I’m surprised I living right here and I didn’t even know about it. I always tell my husband to try and get in the yard before 4 pm on Fridays and Saturdays because it can be really rough out there with the different kinds of people coming on the avenue.
“But this happened on a Tuesday night, so you really have to wonder if we are doing enough to stay safe,” the resident said.
The two wounded men remained under police guard at the hospital yesterday, as officers received reports that gunmen may attempt to kill the survivors.