Murder toll rises with ten killed in 3 days

GREGORY MCBURNIE AND ENRIQUE RUPERT

The murder toll continues to rise after ten people were murdered in three days,
bringing the country’s murder toll to 363.

In the latest incident, two men died after they were shot while liming in Samaroo Village, Arima on August 5.

Around 9.12 pm police received reports of gunshots and went to Edma Avenue.

Police were told Emerson Boucher, 21, Michael De Gazon, 27, and Nigel Jemmotte, 40, were liming in front of a house when a dark grey, heavily tinted Suzuki Grand Vitara fitted with blue lights, similar to unmarked police vehicles, drove towards the men.

It stopped a short distance away and a man in a grey jersey with a green bandanna covering his face, armed with what appeared to be an automatic rifle, got out.

He pointed the gun at the victims and began shooting.
He got back into the SUV and it drove off.

The trio were taken to the Arima Health Facility, where Boucher and De Gazon were pronounced dead.

Jemmotte remains listed in critical condition.

Police believe the shooting was in retaliation for a recent fight between two men, one of whom is believed to be affiliated with a gang.

Officers found 58 5.56 spent shells and two 9mm spent shells at the scene, and an SUV matching the description of the shooters’ vehicle was later found at Windy Hill, Arouca.

Forty-five minutes earlier, the body of Daniel Morris, 32, of Cocorite Terrace, Cocorite, was found outside an abandoned house in his neighbourhood.

Around 8.25 pm on August 5, police on patrol received information and went to an unpainted, abandoned red-brick house in Powder Magazine Extension, Cocorite.

While there, they found Morris near the verandah on the western side of the house with a gunshot wound to his head.

Officers also found three spent 5.56 shells, two spent 3.57 shells, and one spent .38 shell.

Morris’s father identified his body.

Earlier that day, 29-year-old labourer Curtis Clement, of Upper Bushe Street, Maitagual, Petit Bourg, San Juan was found dead on a track near his house.

Clement’s mother heard several gunshots and found his body in the track, up a hill near the house.

Clement was dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts. His hands were bound with a black belt and there were gunshot wounds to his head and torso.

Police found two spent .40 calibre shell casings with markings and believe his killing was gang-related.

Two more murders were recorded in the Arima district late on Sunday night and early on Monday morning.

Kernel Hinds, 22, of Pinto Road, Arima was shot and killed at Annie's and Danny's New Generation Bar on the Eastern Main Road on August 4.

Police said around 8.16 pm they responded to gunshots in the area. When they arrived 14 minutes later they saw several spent shells at the entrance of the bar.

They were told Hinds had been taken to the Arima Health Facility.

According to police, around 8.10 pm Hinds was with a relative when a white Tiida parked in front of the bar.

Two gunmen dressed in all black got out and shot at Hinds. He ran but the gunmen chased him and continued shooting.

When Hinds collapsed in front of the bar, the gunmen got back into the car and drove away.

Hinds was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival .

Police found 12 9mm shell casings, one live 9mm round and six deformed projectiles.

Around 12.50 am on August 5, police found an unidentified, bullet-riddled body at Unity Lane, Carapo.

Up to press time on August 6, the body had not been identified. The body is described as a male of African descent, slim-built and with a brown complexion. He was wearing Muslim (Islamic) clothing.

Police said the man had multiple gunshot wounds.

They found 19 9mm spent shell casings at the scene.

A Diego Martin man who was shot twice in the head early on Sunday morning died in hospital hours later.

Kimani Adams, 34, was listed in critical condition after being taken to hospital. Police said he died around 6.26 am on August 4.

In the initial report, police said around 12.30 am on August 4, Adams was in his yard when two men approached, shot him and escaped in a red vehicle.

Police found seven 9mm spent shells and one projectile.

Adams's family declined to speak with the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James on Monday.

Taxi driver Hesston Khelawan, 34, a member of the Piarco airport taxi association, was found dead on Bejucal Road, Cunupia, on August 4.

An autopsy revealed he died of a single gunshot wound to the head.

The other two murders took place in Tobago.

On August 5, 32-year-old Beetham businesswoman Victoria Guerra was shot multiple times by three gunmen. Around 3.52 pm Guerra’s husband arrived at the Roxborough Hospital and told doctors she was shot at Lammy Road, Argyle.

Police reports say a silver hatchback Nissan Tiida pulled alongside Guerra as she was walking. Three men began shooting at her and the car then drove off.

Guerra died while being treated.

On August 4, Ezra Sylvester, 41, was sitting on a chair under a tent in a carpark on Carrington Street, Scarborough when a black car stopped nearby.

Five masked men armed with guns got out and began shooting at him. He tried to run off but the men chased him and shot him again.