Education Ministry sends condolences after police kill teen

THE Education Ministry on Tuesday expressed condolences to family and friends of a school child who was killed by police.

A post on the Education Ministry’s Facebook page on Tuesday said, “The death of any young person is a loss to Trinidad and Tobago’s future. On behalf of Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly and Lisa Morris-Julian, condolences are extended to the family and friends of Maalik Paul. May his soul rest in peace.”

Paul, 17, a form five student, was killed along with two men by police last Saturday.

Police reported that, at about 12.30 pm on September 10, officers of the Central Division were on an exercise in Couva when they attempted to stop the driver of a silver-grey Isuzu Dmax van. The van was proceeding along Esperanza Road at the time.

Police said they were shot at by men in the van and they returned fire hitting three of the four occupants. When the shooting ended, ex-convict Phillip “The Boss” Boodram, Gerard Thorington and Paul were all shot and subsequently died.

Police said the fourth man escaped.

Boodram was convicted of murdering a San Juan businesswoman but had the conviction overturned on appeal earlier this year. He lived on Fifth Street in Dow Village, California. Thorington was from Goodwill Road, Enterprise while Paul lived in Railway Road, Couva.

On Monday, Paul’s mother Magilta Dujon said her son was killed after he accepted a drop from Boodram who he occasionally did yard work for.

Dujon added that students and teachers at her son’s school the Southern Tuition Centre, have been calling and messaging her telling her the school had not been the same without Paul.

Dujon, 45, said her last child and only son was preparing to sit his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams in January.

Dujon said she planned on visiting the Police Complaints Authority on Wednesday to make an official report.

Paul’s body and those of the two men killed have not yet been taken to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy which is expected to be done later this week.