Man shot dead in Port of Spain

A 44-year-old Laventille man was killed on George Street, Port of Spain, on July 3.

Around 1.15 am, police on mobile patrol got information of gunshots near the George Street Health Centre.

When they arrived, they found the body of Leon "Toby" King of Plaisance Terrace, Laventille, lying outside Building 54-56 of the George Street Housing Development.

King’s mother identified his body.

The district medical officer pronounced King dead after viewing his body and ordered it removed to the Forensic Science Centre for a post-mortem.

Police found eight spent 9mm shells and 1 spent 5.56 shells at the scene.

Later on July 3, a volley of gunshots in East Port of Spain sent some pedestrians throughout the capital city running for safety.

At around 12.30 pm, people from Independence Square to Park Street reported hearing gunshots.

One man told Newsday, "I heard the shots while walking downtown by Independence Square and wondered what was really happening."

A woman on Pembroke Street said she, too, heard the shots.

"I heard them but I was confused. I couldn’t believe that is what I was hearing."

Police were unable to confirm the source of the gunshots or if anyone was held in connection with them.

Police in Carenage held a man on July 2 after they found a semi-automatic pistol hidden in his pants.

Around 10.45 am, police were on an anti-crime exercise in Carenage.

Officers driving unmarked police vehicles went to School Street near Carenage Girls' Government Primary School, where they saw a man known to them get into the back seat of a grey Hyundai Elantra.

Police monitored the car, which then drove off before being intercepted near the Carenage Health Centre.

Officers searched the man and found a gun with 17 bullets hidden under the waistband of his pants.

He was arrested, along with the driver and another back-seat passenger.

Police also found a firearm in Biche on Tuesday but no one was held.

Officers held a drug block eradication exercise between 6 pm and 10 pm, during which four drug blocks in Plum Mitan, Charuma, Biche Junction and Cushe were searched.

Police found a homemade trap gun in a bushy area ten feet from the road near Oliver Trace, Cushe.

Investigations into the find are continuing.