Six killed in 24 hours as CoP jets off on leave

In 24 hours, there were six reported homicides as rival gangs traded bullets in San Fernando, a suspected plantain thief was confronted by a gardener, there was a suspected hit on a man accused of being a snitch and two other men were killed while playing cards.

The killings took place hours after Police Commissioner Gary Griffith left for Europe on a two-week vacation. For the first 15 days of October police recorded nine murders.

In the most recent killings, two men were murdered while playing cards. Police said Carlyle Peter Brown, 62, of Southern Main Road, La Romaine and Kern Cuffy, 27, of George St, La Romaine, were at Cuffy's house when two gunmen wearing hoodies opened fire. They were killed instantly.

Police reported that around 12.15 am Saturday the two were with others in the verandah when the killers began shooting. Cuffy was hit in the abdomen and Brown in the head. Two others who were liming were also shot. Police said they were a 34-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man, both of George Street, La Romaine.

The woman was shot in the abdomen and the man was grazed on right elbow and arm. Both were taken to the San Fernando General Hospital, where they remain warded.

Minutes before that shooting, police were called to another murder in Arouca.

Police reported that 30-year-old Kerwin Lewis was found shot dead near his home at Savannah Trace, Garden Village, Arouca.

Police reported that around 11.58 pm, they found Lewis's body on a dirt road in an open piece of land used for farming. His relatives said they heard gunshots sometime around 11.45 pm and called police.

Police found six 9 mm spent shells at the scene and one live round and believed he was murdered because he was suspected of tipping off the police to crime in the district.

About five hours earlier, a San Fernando man was killed during a drive-by shooting.

Victor Stewart, 28, of Xenia Drive, Pleasantville was killed when he and two friends were shot by the occupants of another vehicle.

Police reported that around 7.10 pm Stewart was driving a white Nissan Tiida along Lord Street, San Fernando when another white Nissan Tiida pulled alongside and someone in it began shooting. Stewart crashed into a nearby gate and died behind the wheel.

His friends, a 33-year-old Pleasantville man and a 17-year-old also from Pleasantville, were injured. Both were taken to the San Fernando General Hospital.

In yet another drive-by shooting, a 42-year-old La Romaine man found dead around 5.50 pm on Friday.

Police reported that Junior Timothy, of Alexander Street, was found in his grey Hyundai Tucson on the Southern Main Road near La Bel Air Road, La Romaine. He had been shot once in the head.

And in Princes Town, police were called in after a suspected plantain thief was shot dead when he was confronted by farmers at Borde Narve Branch Road around 5.30 pm on Friday. Another man was detained and taken away by police.

The six killings took the murder toll to 325 for the year. Last year for the same period there were 424 murders.