‘Put down the guns’

WHILE the Commissioner of Police and police executives remain mum on the rash of murders in Bon Air Gardens, a former resident and a relative of one of the seven murder victims in the area in the past month, has taken to Facebook to send a message of peace through song.

Rennie McKie, known as Siah Malachi – a reggae artist, posted a song called Put Down the Guns on his Facebook page, pleading for peace in Bon Air Gardens.

“Too much bodies lay cold on the tar/Wonder why them boy a wage war,” sang the artist. “In this gun town of mine/Peace and love is what I searching to find/You gotta make your light shine.”

Malachi told Newsday he first posted the song in 2016, when he simply sang in a room over a beat played in the background.

He said he felt it necessary to repost the song because the situations that inspired him to write it were similar to what has been happening in the area over the past few weeks.

“These killings are senseless,” said Malachi. “This stupid Rasta/Muslim war... they are fighting for turf that is not their own.

“These men will all die and leave it behind. I am just fed up of the killing.”

Malachi said growing up in Bon Air Gardens, he never experienced the number of murders which have been occurring recently, and worries that more death will come to the area.

He called on citizens to help police come to a resolution in the murder cases, but pointed out that people are still fearful and lack confidence in the police.

“Police are doing their jobs the best they could. It is up to the citizens to do their part. But remember, in this country even the criminals would have connections in the police, so people don’t know who to trust. We just have to depend on God to put some sense into these criminals’ heads.”

Asked about the situation in Bon Air Gardens, police were not as forthcoming.

CoP Gary Griffith declined yesterday to comment on the shootings, saying he could not comment on ongoing investigations.

At the weekly police press briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain yesterday, public information officer Michael Jackman said police are “working assiduously” to solve the murders.

Dwight Richardson, Salim Dominique and Kadeem Williams were all shot dead on Monday night at about 9 pm on Nightingale Drive, Bon Air Gardens, Arouca.

A fourth man, identified as Nigel Scott was also shot and remains in critical condition at hospital.

The week before, Ronald “Tek” McKie was shot dead while liming near his home on Kiskadee Crescent, Bon Air Gardens, Arouca.

After his death, Anderson Forbes and Anderson James, both of Kiskadee Crescent, Arouca, were shot dead at McKie’s wake.