Farmer, 2 sons gunned down in Palmyra

A man and his two adult sons were gunned down inside their home over the weekend at Palmyra.

Police believe that Vijay Boodoo, 56, and his sons Vidharshan, 30, and Shreedhashan, 24, all farmers, were ambushed and did not get a chance to defend themselves.

The three lived in a wooden structure off Connector Road, surrounded by the family’s garden and a bushy field.

The front entrance has a half-door made of plywood, leaving the top half-open.

They planted corn and other crops and reared chickens nearby. Boodo was also a retired chemist, police said.

Police said the brothers last spoke by phone to another brother on Saturday at about 9 pm.

Midmorning on  Sunday, the brother repeatedly tried contacting Boodoo, Vidharshan, and Shreedhashan. But all calls went unanswered.

He later got a call from his mother, who went to the house to check on them. She discovered them dead with gunshot wounds and contacted police.

St Madeleine, Gasparillo and Homicide Bureau (Region III) police, including Supt Sean Dhillpaul and DCP McDonald Jacob, visited the scene.

They searched surrounding areas for evidence.

Police found 14 spent shells and four live rounds.

There are no other houses in the area. But there are several roads, tracks which lead to Reform Village, Tarouba and Palmyra.

At the scene, DCP Jacob, who is in charge of crime and intelligence in the division, said police are doing all within their power to arrest and charged the killers.

Police do not yet have a motive and the killers remain at large.

In 2007, Boodoo and his two deceased sons faced a San Fernando magistrate charged with having guns and ammunition. They were granted bail, and the case is still pending.

Ste Madeleine and Homicide Bureau police are leading the investigations.