Granny mourns teen's death

ADA FRANCOIS, 90, is in a state of grief after her great-grandson, 15-year-old Shekeem Francois and four other youths were gunned down by police during what they described as excessive force by the officers, during an exercise at the family's Trou Macaque, Laventille home last night.

Newsday visited the home and spoke to the elder Francois who said she was still awake when her grandson, his neighbour Kadeem Phillip, 16, Nicholas Barker, Mishak Douglas and Seandell St Clair aka "Crash" were playing cards behind the house at around 9.30 pm last night.

Contrary to reports by police who said they recovered two pistols from the men, relatives claimed all of the youths were unarmed when they were fired upon by police who walked off the road into the family's backyard.

"He was just playing cards with those guys in the back there, I can't speak for anyone else but he (Francois) and Kadeem were good boys. They were not involved in anything illegal. All now Shekeem was supposed to be in school today," an emotional Francois said.

Newsday was told by relatives that they are not sure what happened after the shooting took place as they were rounded up and told to go back inside. Earlier today, three teachers from the Morvant Laventille Secondary School, where Francois attended, visited the home and extended condolences to the family.