Babysitter, parent of child she cared for killed

A 33-year-old hairdresser who was working as a babysitter was killed on Monday night, along with the father of the child she was babysitting.

Police said at about 12.08 am on Tuesday they were alerted to a wounding at Celestine Drive, Pelican Extension, Morvant. On arrival they were told that at around 8 pm on Monday, Abigail Lewis, 33, of Alfred Richards Street, St James, Shaquille Primus, 27, and a relative of Primus were watching television when the relative took the child and put him to sleep.

While doing so, the relative told police she heard loud banging and slapping sounds and later found Lewis dead on a couch with chop wounds. Primus was shot in the head. He was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police listed the deaths as domestic, adding that a Beretta pistol and two rounds of .38 ammunition were found at the scene.

When Newsday visited, one of Primus’s neighbours was packing up to move out of the area. The neighbour, who is also a relative of Primus, lives a house away from where the killings took place.

The relative said nothing like that had ever happened to the family and, as a result, he was and his family were moving out. He said he could not speak much about Lewis, who was recently hired to babysit Primus’ child. Monday would have been her second day on the job.

Primus, the neighbour said, kept to himself and they had no idea if he had been threatened or otherwise fearful for his life before the killings. He said Primus was known for having multiple women visit him, but never for being involved in any illegal activity as far as he was aware.

At the home where the double killing took place, another relative of Primus said no one wants to remain at the house as he packed belongings for those living there to move out.

He said he was told that while the killers were attacking Lewis and Primus, the relative hid under a bed, blocking Primus’ son’s mouth so he would not cry.

He said the relative called other relatives while the killers were in the house so that they, in turn, could call for help. The man said the relative sounded muffled during the call and it was only after the killers left they could hear clearly what she had said.

The neighbour relayed a similar story, saying after the killers left, the relative came out of the house screaming and saying that while hiding under the bed, she heard Primus and Lewis being killed.

The two killings were among five that occurred between Monday night and Tuesday morning. The others include the shooting death of Primus' friend Jabari Williams, two hours before Primus was shot.

Police said at around 6 pm on Monday, Williams and another man were shot while liming at Mc Intosh Street, Pelican Extension, Morvant when a blue SUV drove past and the occupants opened fire on them. Both men were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where Williams was declared dead on arrival.

Hours later a Moruga man was killed in Tunapuna. Police said Jafe Randy Phillip, 42, was liming with his girlfriend and a 29-year-old friend at First Trace, Tunapuna, at around 9.45 pm when four gunmen ambushed them from a nearby hill. They killed Phillip and injured his girlfriend and friend.

Crime scene investigators found 75 spent 5.56 shells, 72 spent 9mm shells, 12 live rounds and six deformed bullets.

Several residents posted videos on social media of them locking themselves inside their homes as rapid gunfire was heard in the distance.

On Tuesday morning a 35-year-old Valencia man was declared dead at the Sangre Grande District Hospital. Police said they were on mobile patrol around 9 am along the Eastern Main Road, Valencia when they were told a man had been shot at Bertrand Street. On arrival they found Emmanuel Peters of Marie Avenue, Tattoo Trace, Valencia and of Baptiste Trace, Valencia and took him to the hospital. Peters had been shot in the back of the head.