Two killed, boy, 3, escapes in St Augustine shooting

Two men were killed and a three-year-old boy narrowly escaped injury after a shooting on Saturday morning in St Augustine.

The incident took place a few hundred metres from the scene of the December 27 quadruple murders in Spring Village, Valsayn.

Shane Ramjitsingh, 21, and Anand “Fly” Bissoon, 35, were shot dead at around 8.30 am in the gallery of a house along Benny Lane, St Augustine South.

Reports say Ramjitsingh, who lived nearby, was speaking with Bissoon when two suspects approached and fired several shots at them.

Ramjitsingh and Bissoon died at the scene while another man sustained gunshot injuries and was taken to hospital where he remains warded.

Ramjitsingh’s son, three-year-old Andre, narrowly escaped injury after bullets passed right above his bed, through the wall of the room where he was sleeping.

Eyewitnesses told relatives of the dead men that the suspects appeared to be teenagers.

When Newsday visited the scene, Ramjitsingh’s family, who lives several houses away, said they were awakened by a neighbour who gave them the tragic news.

His mother cried as she said her son’s death was a case of “wrong place, wrong time.”

“He went to drop a pot. He had borrowed a pot from his girlfriend’s aunt and went to drop it because they called for the pot. Somebody was cooking at the time and he went to drop it.”

She described her son as a happy boy and said he never bothered anyone and earned his living as a scrap iron salesman.

“He never have no enemies. Never. Shane is loved by everybody. It don't have a person I know that don't like Shane.”

While Newsday was speaking with the family, Ramjitsingh’s son asked for him saying, “Mama. Where Shane?”.

His grandmother looked at him and began crying again as another relative held him.

Ramjitsingh’s father Satesh said they had not explained to the boy what had happened.

“He don't really know what going on you know. He just watching everybody. He see his father under blood. That how he see his father. He told us ‘Shane bleeding’ but I don’t know if he knows.”

Villagers who gathered near the house said crime in the community seems to be have increased exponentially leaving them feeling unsafe.

One man said residents have simply accepted that it is no longer safe to do the things they once did.

He equated life in St Augustine to living in a “western town” and an “indoor jail.”

“We are afraid to come out. You can’t come out with your children and be normal. Look how long I want to take my children to the savannah to come out and play for a little two hours and go home. But it’s not (safe) for recreation outside.”

“That is how it is. Stay in your house, you live in your house. You come out when you have to get certain things and you're back inside. That is life.”

He said it is unfair, however, to blame the police and say they are not doing enough since communities must also do their part to keep crime down.

The man said community togetherness is important and cited the low murder toll in communities such as Beetham and Sea Lots despite their reputation.

He said communities needed to take a stance against crime and residents must play their part.

“We in the community does allow stupidness. We know who is the rogue elements in the area. Everybody knows that…It's just they wouldn't come out and speak. Because a man will be fearing for his life and his children's life.”

He also said parents have to play their part in controlling the things their children are exposed to in music and on the internet.

A nearby shop owner was adamant that he would not let crime in the community affect his operations.

“The business is not really my problem. Money could always come but men just dying on a daily basis and that is the problem we are having. Me ain't really study about no business. I think that’s the last thing on my mind. I just studying two men die…they gone. Every day we see problems and problems and more problems.”

Despite his loss, Ramjitsingh’s father shared similar sentiments and said moving out of the community is “out of the question.”

He said nowhere in TT is safe and added police are doing their best but they can’t be everywhere at once.

“You're not safe anywhere. That is just how it is. Because anything could happen and police can’t be around when it happening. They will be there when it done happen. Anywhere you go in Trinidad that’s how it is.”

“Plenty people not employed. There is poverty and some people don't have anything so it will always have crime.”