Murder victim's sister: Crime rate 'saddening'

A 30-year-old father of two was shot and killed on Sunday night while liming when gunmen opened fire on the group he was with.

At around 9.30 pm, Clinton Cross and three other men were liming between Bowen and Moraldo Street in Maraval when gunmen got out of a car and began to shoot.

Cross's sister, who did not give her name, spoke to Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Monday.

She said Cross was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“He doesn't normally lime there, they were having drinks and he decided to take a little lime.”

Grieving for Cross's two young children, aged 11 months and two years, she said her family is struggling to come to terms with his death, adding her mother is taking his death particularly hard.

“That was her last child. She is devastated. She said she wants to join him. I am trying to be her strength as best I can.
"On September 16, we celebrated her birthday. That was the last time we celebrated together as a family. It was her birthday, and we all came together. It was our last joyful celebration.”

She described her brother, a self-employed mechanic, as helpful and loving.

“If your car is down or you need a drop anywhere, he is always willing.”

She said she was told that when the men began to shoot, Cross ran into an open yard and was shot in the back and the head. She said the other men were also shot, but Cross was the only one who died.

“He was trapped in the yard – it had nowhere for him to go.”

She described the crime situation as saddening.

“Every minute is a drive-by shooting, it is scary. You can't lime anywhere, everywhere is unsafe.”

She denied rumours of her brother being involved with any gang.

“There has been a lot of shooting up in the area, it looks like a gang war, but I don't know.”

On Saturday, four people were killed and eight others wounded in a mass shooting in Powder Magazine, Cocorite.

At around 11 pm, 12 people were liming at Building F when a dark-coloured car drove in, turned around and stopped at the entrance. Two men in dark clothes got out and started shooting indiscriminately before fleeing.