8 KILLED IN 24 HOURS

SHANE SUPERVILLE and LAUREL WILLIAMS

EIGHT people, including local theatre icon Raymond Choo Kong, were murdered in six unrelated incidents between Sunday night and yesterday afternoon, in a bloody frenzy that pushed the murder toll from 272 to 280.

Choo Kong’s murder yesterday afternoon was the last of the eight while the first murder of the killing spree was that of a Carenage woman who was shot dead on Sunday evening. In an immediate response to the bloodshed, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith assured that he and the police service are doing all they can to stem the killings.

KILLED AT FRIEND’S HOME

The latest murder spree to hit the country began at 7.20 pm on Sunday when Justine Phillip, 24, arrived at the L’Anse Mitan, Carenage home of a male friend, bringing dinner with her.

Shortly after she entered the house, two gunmen forced their way in and without warning, opened fire. Phillip was shot repeatedly and slumped to the ground where she died.

Her friend was shot once in the stomach and was later taken to hospital where he was treated and remains warded in stable condition under police guard. Police said they believe he was the gunmen’s intended target. No arrest has been made.

“NICO” SHOT

Less than three hours later, murder number two in the spree took place. When gunshots rang out in La Romaine at 10 pm, no one knew what was going on. Minutes later, relatives of Hakeem Nikolai Mowlah, 24, found him on the ground barely breathing. Police said Mowlah, also called Nico, was at Grace Lane not too far from his home when he was shot. He died later at hospital.

Police said Mowlah had several matters pending at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court. No arrest has been made.

TRIPLE MURDER

Murders number three, four and five took place later in Laventille. Police said Saleem Peters, 15; Damien Granger, 37; Shermarke Wickham, 31; and another man aged 40, were playing cards at the Dasheen Shop parlour in Quarry Street, Laventille when at around 11.05 pm, a black Nissan Tiida drove up.

A man got out of the car and began shooting at the card players before getting back in the car which sped off. Wickham died at the scene. Peters and Granger were taken to Port of Spain General Hospital where the former was pronounced dead on arrival and the latter died shortly after undergoing surgery. A fourth man was shot in the back of his thigh and remains warded.

Granger’s younger sister Terri Ann Granger said his death left their entire family deeply traumatised. She appealed to all of Laventille to unite for peace. “I hope we in this community can come together and work our differences out without resorting to violence. Let’s try and give peace a chance,” she said.

Kizzy Wickham said the incident left her dazed as she never thought the day would come when she would have to visit the Forensic Science Centre to identity a relative because of murder.

“I heard the gunshots at home but I didn’t think much of it because gunshots are a normal part of life in Laventille. I was told later that they just killed my brother Shermake,” Wickham said. “My brother didn’t deserve this. He had no children so I don’t even have a niece or nephew to remember him by.” No arrest has been made.

MISSING WOMAN FOUND IN BUSHES

Murder number six in the spree saw police going into the forests in Mafeking Village, Mayaro yesterday, where the body of Chris Rivers, a 24-year-old woman reported missing last week Monday, was found. The police were taken to the scene by a woman who over the weekend gave investigators a statement regarding Rivers’ disappearance.

The discovery was made at 11 am. Police could not immediately determine cause of death but strongly suspect Rivers was strangled. They hope an autopsy today will give them conclusive answers. The woman who is in her early 20s, turned herself into police over the weekend. Her boyfriend who lives in Mayaro, is also in custody.

Police from Eastern Division and Homicide Bureau Regions II and III including ASP Dhilpaul and PC Gillead visited the scene. Rivers who lived in Rio Claro, was last seen alive last week Monday at her workplace, the Water and Sewerage Authority’s (WASA) substation in New Grant.

She left work shortly after 6 am and entered a white car heading to Rio Claro, but never made it home. Later that morning, she contacted relatives telling them she was leaving work. That was the last time they heard from her. All subsequent calls went unanswered and then straight to voicemail.

“PAN” GUNNED DOWN

Murder number seven took place when Nicholas “Pan” Nero was gunned down at around midday yesterday at his June Street, Couva home. Four years ago, Nero’s brother Hayden “Ludo” Nero was gunned down at Lisas Gardens in Couva.

Police said that a car drove up to Nero yesterday and gunmen opened fire before driving off. Police from Central Division as well as the Homicide Bureau Region III, among them ASP Persad, WPC Mohammed and PCs Nelson and Bernard, visited the scene. No arrest has been made.

THEATRE ICON STABBED

The murder which really shook up the entire nation was the eighth and final one in the spree. Veteran actor and playwright Raymond Choo Kong, was found stabbed to death at about 1 pm yesterday.

Choo Kong’s shocking and unexpected passing led to an outpouring of grief and tributes from several people both in an out of the local theatre scene. (See Page 8). His autopsy is expected to be done today at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.