Man wounded in midday Port of Spain shooting

POLICE are on the hunt for two gunmen who opened fire on a car on Wrightson Road on Tuesday.

They are also bracing for reprisals arising out of the incident, which they said was gang-related.

They said the shooters were aiming at a man from East Dry River, Port of Spain who was released from custody on Tuesday. He was held over the weekend for questioning in the Western Division.

Police said the intended target’s cousin, Rondell “Papito” Pierre, was shot in the back and made his way to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he is warded in a serious but stable condition.

Police reports said around 12.40 pm, the intended target, who was charged with gang-related offences, was in a blue Hyundai Elantra heading east along Wrightson Road when two gunmen started shooting. The driver of the Elantra, whom police identified as the intended target's sister, was able to manoeuvre the car so that no one in it or the car itself was hit.

Pierre, of Lovell Place, East Dry River, who was in a Volkswagen Jetta following close behind, was shot. The gunmen escaped in a waiting vehicle.

Because of the shooting, police had to cordon off the eastbound lanes of Wrightson Road from French Street to the corner of Duke Street and Wrightson Road. Traffic heading east was diverted north up French Street, which is usually a one-way street heading south onto Wrightson Road. Some traffic was diverted on to the westbound lanes from Colville Street up to Dock Road.

The driver of the Elantra went live on Instagram after the shooting and said two masked gunmen opened fire on them. The woman, clearly distressed, said she had to run out in her slippers, showing her viewers both her and her brother’s footwear.

The woman who made the video was heard saying in it, “I hope allyuh know it f--king on. I hope allyuh know allyuh miss!”