3 GUNNED DOWN AT CARAPICHAIMA WAKE

The police believe that the gunmen who opened fire at a wake in Carapichaima early Friday, killing three people and wounding three others, were interested in one of the dead victims and no one else.

The police suspect the intended target was Keston “Big Shane” Lawrence, 30, of Lamont Street in Longdenville. The police said the “labourer” was a “known offender” of crimes involving guns and illegal drugs.

Lawrence, as well as labourer Dwayne Charles, 34, of Enterprise, died at the scene.

Truck driver and father of two, Francis Munroe, 40, of Arena Road in Freeport, died at the hospital. A relative of Monroe told Newsday she was unaware when he left home to go to the wake.

The injured men are Twayne Hall, 33, of Carapichaima; Dave Boodoo, 40, of Freeport; and the lone female, Kadisha Richards, 29, of Carapichaima.

The victims were attending the wake for Atiba Barrios, 42, at Orange Field Road in Carapichaima. Barrios recently died of natural causes.

Reports are at around 12.30 am on Friday, gunshots rang out, and the attendees ran for cover.

Freeport police were called, and first responders PCs Bhajan and Tull found Lawrence’s body in the yard and Charles’ body nearby on a gravel road.

The survivors were taken to the Chaguanas District Health Facility and later transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

The police recovered 24 spent shells of 5.56 ammunition.

Central Division police, including Insp Mungroo and Sgt King, visited the scene.

Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region III, police including W/Cpl Dyer Baptiste, PCs Henry and Sewdath, also visited and gathered evidence.

A neighbour told Newsday that he was in his bed at home when multiple shots rang out.

He said people began running for safety, and some hid inside his house. One man went to the bathroom and locked the door.

“There were more bullets than people. It is a good thing people run because more could have died. The rounds were non-stop for about 30 seconds. One of my partners ran inside the toilet and locked the door."

Because the resident was inside, he did not see the killers and waited until the gunshots ended before going outside.

“Normal people do not do that type of thing in a wake. They might wait for you wherever but not in a wake. Look how many more people could have died,” he said.

The neighbour said he had been in police custody for an unrelated incident, and he had not yet had a chance to offer condolences to the Barrios family.

Other residents said they knew Hall and Richards because both lived in the area. They described the two as “decent people.”

Residents, who asked to be unnamed, believed Hall and Richards were not the intended targets but were simply paying respect to the Barrios’ family when the gunmen attacked.

The killers were at large up to Friday evening and PC Mathura is leading investigations.

The deadly shooting was the latest to have taken place at a wake.

Earlier this month, a gunman opened fire at a house at Bridal Road in Cunupia, where people were attending the wake for murder victim Ryan Mansar.

There were no reports of injuries.

Mansar was shot dead at the family’s business place, S&R Tyre Shop of Bridal Road in Cunupia.

His brother Shiam Balla was shot in the front of the same place weeks earlier, on September 3, but survived.

In May, Chris Pooran was shot dead and another wounded at the wake of a murder victim near Trainline Village in St Augustine.

Pooran, 24, and other people were at a wake for murdered vendor Dillon Joseph, when a car drove near the gathering, and two gunmen opened fire.

Pooran and another man, 29, were hit and taken to the hospital, where doctors declared Pooran dead.

The attackers left in the car.