[UPDATED] Man gunned down while sitting in car in Petit Bourg

Police are probing the murder of a 32-year-old man in Petit Bourg on Sunday night.

Police said Joel Benjamin was sitting in his silver Nissan Primera car on Germaine Avenue, Upper Irving Street, at around 9.20 pm when he was shot several times by gunmen who ran away.

Residents heard the gunshots and called the police.

San Juan police and officers from the North Eastern Division Task Force visited the scene and found Benjamin's body.

A district medical officer also visited the scene and declared Benjamin dead.

Benjamin's murder brought the murder toll to 104 for the year thus far compared to 92 for the same period last year.

The North Eastern Division extends from Morvant to Aranguez and covers areas like Malick, Barataria, San Juan, El Socorro, Maracas Bay, Blanchisseusse and La Fillette.

Hours earlier Akiel Johnson, 27, was gunned down in La Canoa Road, Santa Cruz, at around 7.10 pm.

Shortly before at around 6.30 pm 38-year-old Selah Nelson and a man were shot by masked gunmen at a house on Eighth Avenue, Barataria,

Passers by took Nelson and the wounded man to the hospital where she was declared dead.

At around 4.45 pm, Kibwe Millette was gunned down while visiting friends on First Street, San Juan.

When contacted for comment, police in the North Eastern Division said they were aware of the uptick in murders and shootings in different parts of their division over the weekend, they were working with other arms of the police to find those responsible.

"You're looking at sporadic shootings and preliminary investigations seem to indicate that the shootings are gang-related.

"We continue to partner with intelligence agencies and monitor and evaluate our strategies so we can shift our focus on different communities because the crime landscape is always shifting."

Referring to a spate of murders in parts of Morvant earlier this year, the officer said a combination of "hard" policing tactics such as active directed patrols and community engagement gradually reduced murders in these areas but admitted that other areas would require additional support.

He said while the divisional police would continue to join forces with other supporting police units, they were not daunted by the challenge.

"We continue to partner with other agencies like the Inter Agency Task Force, the Guard and Emergency Branch and the Special Investigations Unit to gather intelligence and target priority offenders.

"We will never be deterred and we will never give up the fight, we will relentlessly pursue justice.

"Look in Blanchisseuse there were a few shootings and because of police intervention and strategies we eventually arrested people.

"We have investigations ongoing and they are yielding fruit so yes while there has been an upsurge we are also seeing some successes."

Police from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II are continuing enquiries.

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

POLICE are probing the murder of a 32-year-old man in Petit Bourg on Sunday night.

Police said Joel Benjamin was sitting in his silver Nissan Primera car on Germaine Avenue, Upper Irving Street, at around 9.20 pm, when he was shot several times by gunmen who then ran off.

Residents heard the gunshots and called the police.

San Juan police and officers from the North Eastern Division Task Force visited the scene and found Benjamin's body.

A district medical officer later visited the scene and ordered Benjamin's body be removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for autopsy.

Benjamin's murder brought the murder toll to 104 for the year thus far compared to 92 for the same period last year. No arrest has been made and investigations are ongoing.