[UPDATED] DEADLY BOAST

WENDELL JOHN, the 42-year-old man shot dead outside the Port of Spain General Hospital on Thursday, may have been killed for drunkenly boasting that he would “dismantle” any member of the Port of Spain-based Rasta City Gang.

A video circulating on social media captured John in a drunken state goading the gang, and threatening them.

“Rasta City, we have allyuh busy!” John said in the video.

The person recording the video asked John what he would do if he saw any member of the Rasta City gang, to which he responded, “I go dismantle dem.”

Relatives at the Forensic Science Centre in St James said, “That is drunk talk. When you live the way he was living, you would say anything to anybody. Seeing the video and knowing him, I know what he would do from what he would not do. But sometimes even I would not be able take it, and other people would take it more seriously.”

Relatives who described him as a jovial, happy-go-lucky kind of person, said John lived with his mother in the United States until he was 18, when he came to his native TT to learn a trade, then return to the US.

But he didn’t learn anything when he came. In fact, he spent the rest of his days living off what was sent to him from his mother in the US.

“He is a barrel baby,” relatives said. “His mother used to mind him from the US. He would lime whole day and his mother would send things for him in a barrel every so often. So if he wanted a phone or anything he would tell his mother and she would send it for him. He was mammy spoil child.”

Relatives said he was shot while liming in his home town, Le Platte Village, Maraval, in March last year. He suffered gunshot wounds to his belly and upper thigh.

They said shortly after he was wounded, he was also caught on video dancing to music and drinking.

Relatives told Newsday that when he was shot, John was either leaving the clinic where he was being treated for the gunshot wounds, or returning there, when gunmen spotted him near the Quik Shoppe on Upper Charlotte Street, across the road from the hospital.

They shot him several times. He tried to run away, but fell into the drain outside the hospital grounds and died on thespot.

The murder toll for the year is now 292. For the same period last year, it was 302.

This story was originally published with the title "Man killed after boasting he could 'dismantle' Rasta City" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

WENDELL JOHN, the 49-year-old man shot dead outside Port of Spain General Hospital on Thursday, is believed to have been killed for drunkenly boasting that he would “dismantle” any member of Port of Spain based Rasta City gang. A video circulating on social media captured John, who appeared to be drunk, goading the gang, and threatening them.

“Rasta City we have allyuh (sic) busy!” John said in the video. The person recording the video asked John what he would do if he saw any member of the Rasta City gang. "I go dismantle dem (sic).” Relatives at the Forensic Science Centre in St James said John was drinking at the time the video was recorded and most probably was just talking idly, under the influence of alcohol.

“That is drunk talk,” said a relative. “When you live the way he was living you would say anything to anybody. Seeing the video and knowing him, I know what he would do from what he would not do. But sometimes even I would not be able take it, and other people would take it more seriously.”

Relatives who described John as a jovial, happy-go-lucky kind of person, said he lived with his mother in the United States until he was 18, when he came to his native TT to learn a trade, then return to the US. "He didn’t learn anything when he came and now he is dead." In fact, relatives said, he lived on whatever money and items were sent to him from his mother in the US.

“He was a barrel baby,” relatives said. “His mother used to mind him from the US. He would lime whole day and his mother would send things for him in a barrel every so often. So if he wanted a phone or anything he would tell his mother and she would send it for him. He was mammy spoil child (sic). Now mammy don't have to hurt she head to send nothing down no more,” a relative said.

Relatives said John was shot while liming in Le Platte Village, Maraval in March last year. They believe he was set upon on Thursday by gunmen as he was heading to the hospital's clinic to continue therapy for the gunshots he suffered last year. After being shot, he fell into a drain where he died.