1 dead, 4 injured in shootout

Stephen Pope, shot dead
Stephen Pope, shot dead

UPDATE:

A SHOOTOUT at Cipero Street, San Fernando, early yesterday morning claimed the life of Stephen Pope, 68, and left four men injured with gunshot wounds.
Two of the men were fighting for their lives up to last evening at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH), one was in a stable condition and doctors discharged the fourth man.

Police report that at about 4.30 am yesterday, the sound of gunshots woke up Pope, and he walked out to his gallery. A stray bullet struck him in his face. Police said the bullet entered the right eye and exited the back of his head. Pope fell, and relatives took him to SFGH where he was pronounced dead. He lived on the top floor of a two-storey building on the corner of Robertson and Cipero Streets.

Pope’s son, David, operates Hashtag Lounge, a popular bar on the ground floor which was open.
Police said the shooting started on Cipero Street, a short distance from the bar where a group of men got into an altercation. When the shots rang out patrons began scampering. The gunmen continued shooting as they arrived at the bar. The four were shot and wounded, while Pope was shot in the head. The gunmen ran down the street and escaped.

Hashtag shooting: Reporters wait outside Hashtag Sports Bar where five people were shot at Cipero Street, San Fernando on Saturday morning. Stephen Pope, 68, died and four men are warded at San Fernando General Hospital. PHOTO BY ANSEL JEBODH

The four injured men are John Charles, 23, John Mark Ashford, 27, Anthony Mitchell, 32, and Elon Chatterpaul, 25. Charles and Ashford, both of Marabella, were shot in the chest and back and are warded in critical condition. Mitchell, who was shot in the leg, was listed as stable. Chatterpaul, of Buen Intento, Princes Town, was grazed by a bullet and later discharged from the hospital.

Police confirmed Pope, a father of three and grandfather of four, was hit by a stray bullet.
“Stephen wanted to locate David. So, he called out to David who was locking up. Our other son told him, ‘Let us go inside’. But Stephen wanted to see where the shots were coming from. Next thing my son saw his father slumped to the ground in the gallery, bleeding from the head,” said Pope’s wife, Elma.

Elma, 60, was not in the house.
This was the second tragedy for the family as Pope’s son Imo, 26, was shot and killed in Mar h 2007 outside a cocoa house in Rock River, Moruga.
Moruga resident Nigel Caraballo, also called Nigel Reviero, 26, went on trial for Pope’s murder. In 2013, Justice Devan Rampersad sentenced him to death in the San Fernando High Court. However, the matter was appealed, and he was later released from custody.

“Stephen was a great father and I hope police arrest someone from his murder. I have no confidence in the system because in Imo’s case, the accused appealed the sentence and he is now out of prison,” Elma told Sunday Newsday.

Inspectors Persad, Gajadhar and Figaro together with Sgt Williams, Cpl Bacchus, PC Nelson and other police from the Southern Division and Homicide Bureau visited the scene where an estimated 40 spent shells were recovered. No one has been arrested. San Fernando Deputy Mayor Vidya Mungal-Bissessar visited the family to express condolences saying she knew Pope and his relatives.

“If you knew Stephen Pope, he would definitely want to go out and see if he heard any sort of commotion. He would want to see if there is something he could help with or if he could defuse a situation. That was the type of person he was,” Mungal-Bissessar said. The councillor for Les Efforts East called on witnesses to come forward with information.

“Crime touches everyone and the veil of secrecy and not wanting to get involved, whether it be a murder, or guns or domestic violence, whatever it is, we must get involved,” she said.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A SHOOTOUT at Cipero Street, San Fernando early Saturday morning claimed the life of 68-year-old Stephen Pope and left four people hospitalised with gunshot wounds.

Police report that at about 4.30 am, the sound of gunshots woke up Pope, and he walked out to his gallery. A stray bullet struck the grandfather of four. Pope fell and relatives took him to the the nearby San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) where he was pronounced dead. He lived on the top floor of a two-storey building on the corner of Robertson and Cipero Streets.

Pope's son, David, operates Hashtag Lounge, a bar on the ground floor which was open.

Police said the shooting started on Cipero Street, a short distance from the bar and patrons began scampering. The gunmen continued shooting as the arrived at the bar. Four people were shot and wounded, while Pope was shot in the head. The gunmen ran down the street and escaped.

Police confirmed Pope was hit by a stray bullet. This was the second tragedy for the family as Pope's son Imo, 26, was shot and killed in Moruga in 2007.

The four injured people are John Charles, 23, John Mark Ashford, 27, Anthony Mitchell, 32, and Elon Chatterpaul, 25. Charles and Ashford, both of Marabella, were shot in the chest and back and are warded at SFGH in critical condition.

Mitchell, who was shot in the leg, is a stable condition. Chatterpaul was grazed by a bullet.

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