Man, 33, shot dead in Pleasantville

Less than two months after moving to Pleasantville, Derrick Stoute was shot dead on a concrete footpath in front of his rented apartment.

The 33-year-old Stoute, who was unemployed, died at the San Fernando General Hospital shortly after 7 pm on Wednesday.

A police report said at around 6.45 pm that day, Stoute and his girlfriend, 33, were in their apartment at Tulip Drive. He went outside to smoke a cigarette, and gunshots were heard.

His girlfriend found him lying with gunshot wounds in front of the apartment.

The footpath connects Tulip Drive and Chaconia Avenue.

She alerted other people in the building, who flagged down a van passing nearby along Chaconia Avenue.

Stoute was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital, where a doctor declared him dead at 7.16 pm.

Southern Division police, including ASP Jaikaran, Sgts Ramlogan and Othello, and PCs Burton and Roberts, visited the scene.

Homicide Bureau Region III police, including acting Cpl Griffith and WPC Meharris, also visited and gathered evidence.

They found three 9mm spent shells and a camouflage hat at the scene.

Newsday went to the apartment on Thursday morning to speak with Stoute’s relatives, but no one was there. A man who lives nearby said Stoute’s girlfriend was deeply tramautised.

Newsday learnt Stoute was originally from Embacadere, San Fernando, and moved to Pleasantville "less than two months ago."

Investigators said one of Stoute’s close relatives was shot dead in Embacadere in 2019. The police were told people had tried several times to kill Stoute.

Investigations are ongoing.