Two shot dead in PoS gang shootings, woman killed in Petit Bourg

Four people were murdered by firearms on Saturday.

The first was Jillian Lewis, 45, who, along with Justin Amal Lewis, 24, was shot at her home on Upper Irving Street, Petit Bourg.

According to police reports, the victims were sleeping and were awakened around 3.25 am by someone trying to open their front door. Three armed men entered the house and opened fire shooting both victims several times.

Justin escaped through an unfinished doorway and went to a friend’s home before he was taken to Eric Williams Sciences Complex for emergency surgery. Jillian, who was in critical condition, was taken to the hospital by first responders and was pronounced dead soon after.

Jillian was the mother of one of the victims of the shooting in Petit Bourg on April 28 that took place in the same area where seven people were shot. A group of men were playing cards at a house on Upper Irving Street around 11.15 pm when gunmen approached and started shooting. Two men died and five were wounded.

Then, around 4 am, Dillon Straughn, 23, of Carapichaima was allegedly stealing copper cables at Temple Street, Waterloo when a man with a shotgun approached and shot him. He died at the scene.

Later that day, around 10.10 am, Ian "Thin man" Stanley of Rich Plain Road, Diego Martin, was killed in a drive-by shooting near the Breakfast Shed on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

A police report said Stanley was driving a green Volkswagen vehicle west along Wrightson Road. As he reached the walkover, a silver Nissan AD Wagon pulled alongside and someone in the wagon shot at him several times before driving off.

His body is expected to be taken to the Forensic Science Centre for swabbing on Tuesday.

In March 2018, Stanley was among three men freed of the murder of Cepep contractor Danladi Balewa, 40, and the attempted murder of Derrick Bellingly, 41, at Covigne Road, Diego Martin.

And gunmen riddled the car of a man along Picton Street, Woodbrook hours later killing the driver instantly. Police did not immediately release the identity of the victim. The two killings have been described as gang-related by police.