(Trinidad Guardian) Business owners at Long Circular Mall, St James, are calling for heightened security following a shooting incident in the mall’s ground level car park yesterday.
Around midday, owner and managing director of the D’Dial Fitness gym, Michael St John, was shot multiple times as he made his way to his parked vehicle.
Upon investigation, CCTV footage showed that around 12.22 pm, a gunman, who was lying in wait in an SUV already parked near the loading bay area of the mall, ran out of the vehicle and opened fire on St John.
According to police reports, St John was shot in the face. He was subsequently taken to the hospital where he was treated and warded in a stable condition.
The mall is a short distance from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Mounted Branch and Canine Unit, the St James Police Barracks and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Camp Ogden in Long Circular.
When Guardian Media visited the mall yesterday, it was business as usual, as it was bustling with customers. However, some tenants said they were concerned for their safety.
One business owner, who asked not to be named, said, “The consensus right now with most of the tenants in the mall is that the mall does not have enough security, and the security that they have does not fit the bill, for lack of a better word. They need to up their game with regards to the security. At least one or two armed security.
“All the security in here have no sort of firearms or batons. They just patrol, especially in this area (ground floor of the mall), we don’t see much security.”
One employee of a bank located in the mall said, “The crime situation in Trinidad is what it is and people don’t feel safe anywhere. Having it happen here in the mall is closer to home but most people will tell you anywhere they are, a crime could happen. It almost has no safe places anymore.”
A worker at a supermarket also located on the mall’s premises said, “I don’t even know how to feel right now. I mean we work here everyday. This is the spot, you see us here, this is where we come out on a break everyday. Nowhere is safe.”
Guardian Media also observed several security officers, mainly female, at different locations in the car park yesterday. One security officer was seen escorting an elderly business owner to her vehicle, which was parked in the lane adjacent to where the shooting took place.
Despite the concern of some owners and employees, the mall was bustling with shopping activity several hours after the shooting incident.
St John’s gym was also open.
And according to some gym members, the gym was busy, as is usual during the Carnival season. Some people said there was some murmur of the incident but overall, everyone was exercising.
Long-standing gym member Frank Braithwaite said he did not know why anyone would want to harm St John, as he was a “normal” guy who spoke to everyone at the gym.
Braithwaite said, “Yes it’s sad that something like this happened to somebody that we know very close and personal to a certain point, but at the end of the day, the way how things are right now, it is very hard. Nobody can be out in peace.”
Another gym member, Jenay Jordan, added, “ I’m shocked to hear this news. Wow! When I walked in (the gym), nobody was really down or anything. The vibe wasn’t a bad vibe but I’m really shocked to hear that.”
Another gym member said, “They know what they are doing out here. They know why they would be targeted.”
Up to last night, the TTPS was still looking for the suspect who shot St John.
Long Circular Mall has been put up for sale by the liquidators of CL Financial.
When Guardian Media contacted Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning for comment, he said, “No comment.”
