Teen killed going to Maloney parlour

FIFTEEN-year-old Tyrek Richardson could have been at school today studying, or waiting for a response from the Cadet Corps, where he was expected to be promoted and move one step closer to his dream of being a soldier.

Instead he was shot dead in Maloney on Wednesday night while going to a parlour to buy a pack of soup.

Richardson is the fourth teenager to be killed in a little over a month.

Family members told Newsday while awaiting the results of his autopsy that the aspiring soldier simply went to the parlour at about 8.20 pm for a small meal. But while he was there, gunmen came in and started shooting.

Richardson was shot several times. Aman identified only as “Suckheye” was shot in the mouth.

“Everyone heard the shooting, but when they checked they never expected that they would find him there bleeding,” said a relative. “It was really a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Relatives said Richardson was an ambitious, helpful and joyful teenager. They said he pursued his dream of being in the military by joining the Cadet Corps, and had just done an exam to be promoted to lance corporal. He also aspired to join Milat (Military Academy). Relatives said he was the youngest of three boys and also had three sisters.

“It is a real unfortunate incident. He wasn’t on anyone. He just liked to live his life as a joyous person,” a relative lamented.

Relatives believe Richardson was collateral damage in a string of shootings on Wednesday which left two people dead and two others wounded. In an earlier shooting incident in Building 16, Marlon “Toby” Charles was shot dead and another man critically wounded. Relatives called on police to have a greater presence in the area.

“It might be rival gangs or something, but something is definitely going on. Police need to get more involved here,” a relative said.

They still thanked the police for their quick response to the report of the shooting. They had mixed feelings about whether Richardson’s murder would be solved, but believed the Almighty would bring them justice.

“They responded quickly last night, but not quick enough to catch the men who killed my brother. The way TT is, it is like a joke town, but God don’t sleep,” a relative said.

On April 5 Akil Phillips, 16, was shot in Laventille while heading to his grandmother's house.

On April 29, 14-year-old Luke Williams was shot dead, along with another man ,during what is believed to be an attempted robbery at a St James liquor mart.

On May 3 another teenager, 14-year-old Naomi Nelson was shot dead in crossfire between gunmen and police in Carenage.