[UPDATED] 20 BULLETS FOR DAD

AFTER shooting father of three Atiba Jacob over 20 times near his workplace on Friday, his killers in an attempt to cover their tracks drove to a lonely area nearby and set fire to the getaway car on Prince Albert Street in Pleasantville, before fleeing in another car which itself was later found abandoned.

Jacob, 36, died on the spot after he was shot in the chest, leg and abdomen. The second car, a silver Toyota Corolla was found abandoned by police in Balisier Avenue, Pleasantville. It was riddled with bullet holes. Police believe Jacob’s killers may have been shot at by other gunmen for driving in a rival gang’s territory.

According to police, Jacob had just arrived at his workplace near the sub-office of the San Fernando City Corporation on Turton Street when a Nissan Cube pulled up. Eyewitnesses later told police that Jacob tried to run when the occupants began shooting at him but he fell to the ground as the car sped off.

The gunmen drove to nearby Prince Albert Street where moments later, smoke was seen as the car was set on fire. Investigators believe an accomplice in the other car, picked up the gunmen before driving off. Residents who saw the car on fire alerted police and the fire services.

Jacob worked as a labourer at the sub-office of the corporation for the past ten years. His mother-in-law Sylvia Thomas said she last saw Jacob on Thursday evening when he came to visit her.

“We would speak every night. He was the type of person who had a soft heart. He always put his family first. His girls were his life. They are very close,” a tearful Thomas said.

Jacob was the father of three girls aged 13, 12 and three. “How do you tell your grandchildren that their father whom they loved so much is not coming home? How do you tell these little girls that they will never see their father again?”

Thomas described the killing as pure evilness. “I have known Atiba for years and he is not involved in any illegal activities. I would say that it was a killing borne out of jealousy. Whoever did this may have been jealous of his life and what he had. They did not know that Atiba worked hard all these years for everything he owned.”

Thomas said she is still in a state of shock. “I really hope they find the people who killed him. I hope we get justice. You read of these things in the newspapers and you never know when it will come home. I just can’t believe it.”

Investigators said they have not yet determined a motive for the killing but fingerprints were found on the second car which they hope could help in locating the suspects.

Jacob’s body was removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for an autopsy. No arrests have been made and detectives from the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) are investigating.

This story was originally published with the title "San Fernando city worker gunned down near workplace" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Moments after he arrived at his workplace, a Pleasantville man was killed in a drive-by shooting in San Fernando on Friday morning.

Atiba Jacob was near the sub-office of the San Fernando City Corporation, on Turton Street, where he worked at about 10.30 am when a car pulled up and the occupants began shooting at him. He was hit in the chest and abdomen and died on the spot. The gunmen drove off. Police said a car was later found burnt nearby and believe it belonged to Jacob.

Residents said they heard the gunshots before they found Jacob's body.

"I woke up and looked out my window and saw a dead man in the road. What madness is this?" a resident told Newsday.

Investigators were still at the scene up to midday.