(Trinidad Express) Gunmen are running rampant across the country, killing at least nine people over a 24-hour period, starting at 4 p.m. on Friday.
Two women and seven men under the age of 45 have been killed in shooting incidents that spanned the north, east and south of Trinidad, pushing the murder toll to 315 for the year.
In one incident in Arima, a three-year-old boy who was in the same room during a double murder narrowly escaped serious injury.
The spate of killings began at 4 p.m. on Friday on Agostini Street in Belmont, where 29-year-old Hasani Bonas of Rudolf Charles Link Road, Laventille, and Jaheim Shallow, 19, of Rigsby Street in Belmont, were fatally shot.
They were said to be liming on the roadway when a three-vehicle convoy—a white panel van, a white Nissan AD Wagon and a silver-coloured Toyota Fielder—pulled up next to them.
Several men exited the cars and opened fire, hitting Bonas and Shallow multiple times.
Bonas died at the scene, while Shallow was pronounced dead at 6.30 p.m. at the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was being treated.
A team of officers led by Insp Sooklalsingh, Insp Forbes and Sgt Mundoo, among others, responded.
Thirty-two spent 5.56mm shells were found at the scene of this shooting.
Laventille
Then around 8.45 p.m. on Friday, Jemerc Fonrose, 20, and Kerwin McLeod, 44, were fatally shot in Mango Rose in Laventille.
The incident also resulted in a 66-year-old man being wounded.
Police said three men were liming on the pavement when a silver-coloured Nissan Tiida pulled up next to them.
Three masked men exited the car and opened fire on the group before returning to the vehicle and driving away.
Residents in the area notified the police and paramedics, and the three injured men were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital.
However, both Fonrose and McLeod died while undergoing treatment.
The 66-year-old remained in a serious but stable condition yesterday.
A team of officers led by Insp Sooklalsingh, Insp Mohammed, Sgt Ramcharitar, Sgt Guevera, Sgt Romeo, and others, responded.
Crime scene investigators recovered 11 spent 9mm shells, 13 spent 7.62mm shells, three spent 5.56mm shells, and one live round of 7.62 mm ammunition at the scene of the shooting.
When the Sunday Express visited this scene yesterday, relatives of Fonrose said they were heartbroken by his killing.
Asking not to be identified, they said the 20-year-old had left his home to purchase a meal.
While he was waiting, the incident took place, and he was fatally injured.
They said Fonrose worked at Holiday Snacks and was not typically a limer, and as such the killing had rocked the family.
“He would be more at home playing game, that kind of thing, ‘Call of Duty’ was his thing,” relatives said.
They also lamented that about 20 seconds prior to the shooting, a police jeep was observed conducting patrols in the area.
“It all just happened so fast. That would have been the last thing on anyone’s mind. Because literally about 20 seconds before a police jeep had just drive by. And then it was just chaos. I don’t know what is going on in this place,” a relative said.
Sangre Grande
In Sangre Grande, 36-year-old Shawn Nigel George, of Foster Road, was fatally shot in his home.
The incident also resulted in a 62-year-old man being injured.
Police said around 10 p.m. on Friday relatives heard gunshots and, upon investigating, they found George lying on the ground, in a pool of blood.
He appeared to have been shot several times in his chest.
The police and paramedics were notified, and a team of officers led by ASP Russel and Sgt Baksh responded.
Ten spent shells of 5.56mm ammunition were found on the scene.
While police were conducting their enquiries, they were informed a 62-year-old man had been brought to the Sangre Grande Hospital for gunshot wounds to his right arm.
He told investigators he had been shot by what appeared to be stray bullets while walking on Foster Road.
Arima
Then around 3.50 a.m. yesterday, Dwane Richardson, 35, and his wife Latoya Voisien, 31, were fatally shot at their home on Maturita Trace, Arima.
Police were told that around 3.30 a.m. relatives at the home heard a series of loud explosions, and then Richardson screaming in pain.
Upon checking, they found Richardson on the ground of his bedroom. He appeared to have been shot several times.
Voisien was found lying face-down on her bed. She also had been shot several times.
Two men were observed fleeing the scene on foot.
A team of officers led by Insp Gonzales-Lewis and Sgt Desouze responded.
Police were told a three-year-old boy who was in the room at the time had also sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Arima Hospital for treatment.
Several spent rounds of ammunition were found on the scene.
Relatives told the Sunday Express yesterday that Voisien was a student at the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP).
Richardson was said to be a construction worker.
Relatives, who asked not to be named, said they were still trying to understand why anyone would have wanted the two dead.
However, despite the horror of the situation, they said they were grateful the three-year-old was not harmed.
