11-year-old survives Port of Spain shooting

Carol Andrews, mother of Nafisa Williams,  an 11 year old girl who was shot in Port of Spain on Monday and her mother, Carol Andrews in happier times.
Carol Andrews, mother of Nafisa Williams, an 11 year old girl who was shot in Port of Spain on Monday and her mother, Carol Andrews in happier times.

The 11-year-old girl who was shot in Port of Spain on Monday survived after undergoing emergency surgery during the course of the week.

The girl’s mother, Carol Andrews, told Newsday the child is now out of critical condition and is speaking with relatives and loved ones while remaining under observation at hospital.

Andrews told Newsday while her child, Nafisa Williams, is responding and makes daily progress she is still suffering from the gunshot wound which went straight through her body, damaging vital organs.

Newsday was told the young girl who suffered injuries to her lungs, kidneys and intestines, was undergoing physical therapy with the help of doctors and nurses.

On Monday at about 4.30 pm Williams, a student of Madressa al Majid Primary School was getting into her uncle’s car, who was about to take her to her John John home.

Just then gunmen drove up to the car and shot it several times. While no one else was wounded, Williams was shot in the right side of her chest. The bullet travelled through her body and exited her back.

Andrews said she was working when she got a phone call that no mother would – that her child had been shot.

Andrews said she immediately began hoping to the almighty that her daughter, her last of three children had not been shot dead. Andrews told Newsday she began crying at her place of work as the shooting incident immediately brought back the painful memory of the death of Williams father, Kevin Williams, who was killed in 2008, when she was only two months old.

Andrews told Newsday that since she got into the hospital on Monday he had not eaten or slept. She simply stayed by the child’s side praying for her recovery.

“People were telling me to keep strong, eat something or drink something, but all I could think about was my daughter. My belly was aching, I was feeling empty. That is my last child. She had no father, and I had to be both mother and father.” she said

“I have been trying to protect my children from this silly gang war. I sent my 16-year-old son to live with his aunt just so he would’t get caught up in what is going on in John John. If I knew it were my daughter I would have to protect I would have moved differently,” she added.

Sources told Newsday the car may not have even been the intended target. Newsday was told the gunmen were actually supposed to ambush the car behind them which was the same make and colour, but had tinted glass. The mother described the gunmen as heartless because of the fact that children were in the car, but the gunmen still opened fire.

“These fellahs are demons, they are not human beings. They don’t care about women, they don’t care about children, they don’t care about anyone,” Andrews said.

No arrests were made in connection with the shooting up to press time.

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