Father of murdered brothers laments: No hope in Trinidad and Tobago as 6 more killed

WITH three triple murders and eight double murders for the month so far, taking the toll to 59, the father of two men killed in one of them says there is no hope for the country.

Speaking to Newsday at the home a neighbour, Joseph Paul said the country has “gone through.”

Two of Paul’s sons, Curtis Dobson, 31, Justin Paul, 25, and Paul's girlfriend, Shalini Shivnanand, 25, were killed in Carapo on Saturday afternoon.

The couple lived at Temple Street, Chanka Trace, El Socorro, while Dobson lived at Peytonville Road, Carapo.

Paul believed the couple was dropping Dobson home when they took a wrong turn and was killed for being strangers.

Police reported that at about 2.50 pm they received a report of gunshots at Rose Drive, Carapo. When they responded they found the couple dead in the front seats and Dobson slouched in the back of the car.

“All I want is justice. This place gone off course real bad. I not saying going, it gone! I not saying it gone because it reach me yuh know, I see it gone for the past year and a half now.”

Paul said many innocent people were dying because of gunmen who missed their targets and killed innocent people, like his children and daughter-in-law.

“This place gone, gone, gone, it ain't going, it gone! I would just love to get justice for my two children. That is all, I wish the Lord could grant me that. I asked him for safety over them, he didn’t give me it. I hoping me asking for justice he will give me one.”

Paul said his prayers for safety for his children may have been answered in a different way as things could have been worse if Justin’s five-year-old son was with them.

He said when the couple were leaving, they left with their signature smile and that is how he wants to remember them.

“That girl was a genuine soul. Ask anybody in the community and they would tell you that” he said.

Dobson was a plumber while Justin was a wackerman with CEPEP. Shivnanand, who was born in Guyana and grew up in Trinidad, was a doubles vendor in the Central Market in Port of Spain.

A friend of the family, Shanti Mungroo, recalled telling the couple not to go anywhere and to go home and sleep. Mungroo, who usually looks after Justin’s son, said she told them multiple times to stay home and they both promised they would.

Around 5 pm on Saturday, they began seeing pictures and videos on social media of the couple.

“Justin was like a son to me, he and my son grew up together. She (Shivnanand) was my son's girlfriend sister and she come like mine too. She was really nice, always jolly and always made you laugh.”

On January 8, with just 12 murders, the Prime Minister in a Facebook post said he was expecting a redoubling of efforts by the protective service coming out of a historical murder toll of 559

Newsday called and sent WhatsApp messages to National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds asking about the redoubling efforts and what else was being done to address the murder toll but up to 8 pm got no response.

While Paul hopes for justice, another family in Ince Trace, Cunupia doubts that the triple murder in which their loved one was killed will be solved.

Jermaine Bernard spoke with Newsday about her baby brother Shervon Ince, who was one of three men killed on Saturday night at Hassarath Road, Cunupia.

Police reported that at about 7:48 pm officers assigned to the Cunupia Police Station received a report of a shooting at Hassarath Road, Cunupia. On arrival they found the bodies of two men and were told a third man was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility.

The men were identified as Kervin Ramjattan, 35 of Dindial Trace Cunupia, Shawn Thomas, 37, of Boodoo Avenue, Maturita, Arima and Jervon Ince, 20 Ince Trace, off Jerningham Junction, Cunupia. Ince died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

“I don’t expect this to get solved. The way things going in this country, no. People not even reaching 30 and they are dying,”Bernard said. She said the youth needed guidance.

Ince’s girlfriend, Gaemillia Dickerson, described him as a loving man who loved children.

Bernard said he was a humble man who did what he loved as he was a skilled labourer who did construction during the day and washed cars and sold produce in the evening. It was while doing that he was shot.

The two triple killings were just over half of the murders that took place between Saturday and Sunday. At about 4.30 pm on Sunday, businessman Sherwin Bernard, 50, was killed by a fake customer.

Police said the gunman pretend to be interested in buying a tank of LPG gas and when Bernard attended to him, he shot him. The killer then stole a pack of cigarettes and escaped in a waiting Nissan Tiida.

Hours earlier, a man who police said was a member of the Seven Gang, was found at the side of the road with bullet wounds. Nkosi Lewis, 28 was found along Second Caledonia, Morvant, at about 10.25 am. Lewis lived at Pasea Street, Tunapuna.

On Saturday morning, Shaquille Ferdinand, 28, an offshore worker, of Kernahan Trace, Dyette Road, Cunupia and Shaeed Jaboolal, 37, of Remy Trace, Longdenville were killed outside Roxbury Bar, Southern Main Road Cunupia.

Police said at about 1.20 am, the killer, wearing a blue windbreaker, fisherman’s hat and three-quarter trousers, approached the two and opened fire. He then ran towards Chin Chin Road after the shooting. The killing was recorded on CCTV cameras and shared on social media on Saturday.

Before the men were killed a man with a t-shirt covering his face was seen scouting the area before signalling to the killer to attack.