(Trinidad Express) The murder toll for the year so far has climbed to 20, with the shooting deaths of two men and the stabbing of a Chinese national between Friday night and early yesterday.
The victims have been identified by police as Shaquille Pierre, 18, of Windy Hill, Arouca; Robert Neptune, 38, of Sarganga Trace, Diego Martin; and Chinese national Yu Quan Ze, 22, of Longdenville, Chaguanas.
The first killing occurred just after 10 p.m. on Friday night at Caparo Valley Road, Longdenville, a short distance from Wing Hong Chinese Restaurant, where Yu was employed.
Police are searching for two Asian men, identified as the suspects involved in the crime.
Police said the suspects emerged from a black Toyota SUV vehicle and had an argument, in a foreign language, with the victim.
One of the men later whipped out a sharp object, believed to be a sword, and stabbed Yu once in the back.
The victim ran a short distance, collapsed and died at nearby Neilson Street, as the men escaped in the vehicle in which they had arrived.
A team of officers form the Central Division, led by ASPs Ramkhelawan and Meharris, and including detective Andre Forgenie, visited the scene.
Cpl Basraj, of the Chaguanas CID, is probing the incident.
Police said they have the names of the two suspects, but they do not correspond with any records at the Immigration Department to any Asian national who would have legally entered the country.
Supt Johnny Abraham and Snr Supt Edward Castillo yesterday expressed confidence that the crime will be solved within a matter of days.
Abraham told the Sunday Express officers were working behind the scenes to bring closure in the incident and other outstanding homicides within the Central Division.
In the second killing, which occurred around 1 a.m. yesterday, a resident of Sarganga Trace, Morne Coco Road, Diego Martin, heard several loud explosions.
The woman, police said, later made a check and found Neptune on the roadway, with a gunshot injury to the head.
The police were notified and officers from the Western Division responded to the incident, but Neptune, who police said was not known to be involved in criminal activities, was already dead.
And in Valencia, a masked gunman chased seven young men who had just left a birthday lime for one of their friends at D’Rumshop Bar at Valencia Junction, and opened fire on them.
Pierre was shot once in the head, with the bullet entering and exiting just above his ear. The incident occurred at Ashing Trace, Old Valencia Road, Valencia.
Death was almost instantaneous for Pierre, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the Sangre Grande District Hospital, where he was taken by friends.
Police said just after 3 a.m. Pierre and six of his friends had left the bar and were walking near Valencia Junction, when they got into an argument with a group of men.
Police said Pierre and his friends decided to stay at the home of one of their friends and entered a taxi, which dropped them at the corner of Ashing Trace.
While walking in the street, a masked gunman approached them and opened fire. The teenagers ran in separate directions and were pursued by the assailant, who again opened fire on them before escaping along Peter Road.
Police said the victims then regrouped after residents began emerging from their homes.
Pierre was found dead on the roadway and was taken to hospital.
Officers believe the assailant was given instructions to kill the men by someone with whom they had an earlier altercation at Valencia Junction. A team of officers from the Eastern Division and the Region II Homicide Bureau of Investigations, led by Supt Hendron Moses, ASPs Neville Sanker and Lewis, and including Sgt Raymond Austin and Jermaline Mitchell and Cpl Allan Khan, visited the scene.
Bernard is probing the incident.
