20-year-old in custody for Duncan’s death

A 20-year-old Mt St George man I in custody, assisting police with investigations into the death of 27-year-old Shonneil Duncan last Saturday night.

Duncan, a construction worker, also of Mt St George, who was found dead after an alleged altercation with another man.

According to official police reports, shortly after 7pm at Back Street, Mt St George, Duncan was with a group of friends when he reportedly got into an altercation with a man over money.

Reports are that a short struggle ensued between Duncan and the man. Duncan fell to the ground and the other man ran off.

Sources told Newsday Tobago on Monday that the man was found asleep in a house at Windward Road, Mt St George on Sunday morning by police. He was taken into custody where he is expected to remain until police investigations are completed and directions sought from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

An autopsy on the body is expected to be conducted today.

When Newsday Tobago visited Mt St George on Monday, a senior resident described the incident as a freak accident as Duncan and the man with whom he reportedly had the altercation with, were close friends.

“I know them very well… the thing now is that these young fellas playing ‘wappie’ every night up here now and the situation is getting worse, all inside your house you hearing their profanities and loud noises. Sometimes, some days are very quiet, but this area is well-known for ‘wappie’ in the nights,” the villager said.

He said villagers were afraid to walk in the area late at nights, and that while there were police patrols in the area, they were not often visible enough. He called for a police post to be set up in the area.

A female villager said she was alerted to the incident when she heard the siren of of the Emergency Health Services ambulance.

“By the time I peeped out to see what was happening, I noticed the large gathering and instantly realised something was wrong. I got sick one time, a murder on my doorsteps … I thought I lived in a safe neighbourhood, but nowhere seems to be safe anymore. I am in absolute shock,

I am angry, hurt, upset … I am not accepting this as the norm. This village was once a safe place,” she said.

Another resident said that Duncan’s death has left her in shock and that the incident should not have happened as the man he reportedly had the altercation with as the two were good friends.

“Those two boys were friends, where you saw one, look out for the other. We are in shock, I’m not exactly sure what happened but something like this is not supposed to happen in Mt St George. Then again it is not supposed to happen at all… they were friends, it was two young people who had their entire life ahead of them.

“This is usually the stuff you would read about in the newspapers or heard on the radio and television…” she said.