Relatives of shot Caroni policewoman: Pray for Quianna

THE family of the female police officer who was shot outside her Caroni home on October 22, hours after returning from performing with the TT Police Service band in the US, is urging the public to pray for her.

Quianna Mahabir, 30, was shot multiple times while in a car with a friend outside her home on Hydraulic Road, Kelly Village.

Her family spoke with journalists outside the Adult Emergency Ward of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope after her surgery. They said they are praying for her recovery.

A relative said while social media is "blowing up" with the news, they “just want to continue praying and see her walk out of here.”

The relative said the family appreciates the good wishes and prayers and are focused on her recovery.

Two representatives for Mahabir’s family updated the public in a video posted on Facebook. They said she was stable and urged the public to pray for her.

“We are asking everyone let us join in prayer…Let us stand as a family and in Christ and pray for our sister in Jesus’s name.

“Cover the family in prayer and all the doctors who are working on her. We thank you for all the calls and the prayers, and we know you are standing with us and believing in God’s greatness on Quianna’s behalf.”

ROBBERY GONE AWRY

Investigators are working on the theory Mahabir was followed home from Piarco International Airport and was the victim of a robbery gone wrong.

Mahabir was about to drive into her yard with a female friend at around 1.35 am.

She was waiting for the front gate to open when a car stopped nearby and two suspects, one armed with a gun, got out and approached them. One of the men tried to open her door, but it was locked.

When Mahabir refused to open the door, the gunman shot her through the glass before getting into the car and speeding away.

Mahabir was shot in the right breast, right hand and twice in the head. A bullet remains lodged in her stomach and one of the bullets to her head exited through her mouth.

Her friend was not injured and drove Mahabir to the hospital.

Police Welfare Association president Gideon Dickson, who visited Mahabir and her family, described her as a fighter.

“She is under heavy sedation, and they are looking to see if they can get down the swelling, if any nerves or anything would have been affected in the area of her upper body. Additionally, the bullet lodged in (the) stomach area is not life-threatening, so they will be treating with that at some point in time as well.”

Dickson said he hopes the perpetrators are caught soon.

“I am certain that sufficient CCTV footage could have been picked up from the airport straight to where she resides, and we should be making a big dent in this investigation in very short order. We ought not to leave anything undone.

“All in law enforcement need to pull together to make sure that we solve this and bring these criminal minds to justice.”

Dickson lamented the crime situation and suggested it adds a new layer to an already complicated issue.

“It appears that almost on a daily basis, apart from members of the public being attacked and the officers trying their best to bring perpetrators before justice, we are seeing now where the officers are being attacked. That is not a good sign. It is not the best for democracy.”

'GUNMEN HAVE IT TOO EASY'

Mahabir is the third officer to be shot in two weeks.

Sheldon Peterson, 54, was shot dead on October 19 during a botched robbery at Awesome Food and Drink Ltd on Olton Road, Arima.

Peterson, who was working as a security guard at the supermarket, was on suspension and facing a charge of misconduct in public office.

Jerome Bleasdell, 32, of La Canoa Road, Lower Santa Cruz, was shot dead on October 12 on the Eastern Main Road in San Juan.

Bleasdell was also on suspension and was also working as a security guard at a supermarket. He was killed in a drive-by shooting after leaving work.

Describing crime as a pandemic, Dickson called for law-enforcement agencies to pool their resources and for members of the public to share information with the police.

“Even our judiciary has a role to play because gun-toting bandits are having it too easy in this country of ours. They are going through the revolving door as if it's no one's business, and they’re glorifying what they are doing to the younger, more impressionable minds. And that cannot be healthy in a society like ours with just 1.4 million people.

“We need to do something about it. Our laws need to be a little more stringent. Our collaborative efforts need to be a little more strategic. We need to take the bull by the horn and go with it.”

He said there was nothing to be gained by trying to apportion blame.

“As an entity, there's always more that could be done. We are not perfect, but we believe that if Trinidad and Tobago really wants to see a difference in what is happening here, the conversation needs to be different. We cannot just be pointing fingers and playing the blame game, because at the end of the day, when that happens, you will have no one defending no one”

PUBLIC OUTRAGED

Scores of people have expressed anger and concern over the shooting.

Comedienne Nikki Crosby posted on Facebook that she was "so broken."

"Quianna Mahabir performed with the TTPS women's contingent band on Saturday night at the Sunshine Awards. The band received an award from the city of Newark for making history," she said.

"We bonded instantly. I saw her as a younger sister with so much talent and love for what she was doing. We exchanged numbers and started texting all day. The band had represented Trinidad and Tobago in Bahamas and in NJ and she couldn't wait to go home and sleep in her own bed."

She referred to Mahabir as Q.

"I am sorry that you are now fighting for your life. I pray that God puts his arms around you and holds you tight and heals you. I pray that you live to continue to spread your talent for the world to experience.

"I am sorry I am not by your side to give you strength and support. Sending all my love and prayers to you and your family. Sending extra prayers to the amazing women of the TTPS band. I love you, Q."

Neighbours on Mahabir’s quiet, dead-end street say they are concerned about the level of crime.

One man said his family was awakened by the gunshots and added his teenage daughter was too distressed to go to school on Tuesday. “She is really traumatised. When you hear (the gunshots) and somebody bawling ‘Help!’ and blowing their horn.

“All I do is pray because it's only God can help us in this country. People’s lives have no value again. It is really sad knowing that it this has hit so near to home.”

TTPS band leader Supt Wayne Guerra said although Mahabir’s only joined the band three years ago, her personality endeared her towards her bandmates. He said they are in shock as they never expected her to be the victim of such a violent crime.

“She's a very warm, generous, a very soft-spoken individual, hard-working and conscientious too. The team is very distraught by the occurrence. It was very shocking to hear this news (because) a person whose demeanour is so calm, we can't imagine something so devastating happening to her. So, it was really a shock to the team.”

Guerra said Mahabir’s family and her bandmates are also being supported by the police. He said the incident shows that police are not isolated from being targets of criminal activity.

Guerra said Mahabir’s shooting has strengthened the band’s resolve to use music as a way to spread positive messages and they intend to continue doing so by performing at the University of the West Indies (UWI) graduation ceremony on October 24 as planned.

“It's ironic that one of our main responsibilities, one of our main duties is to bring a positive message by way of music to the youths, to the communities, to troubled persons...”

He added, “That would not dampen our spirits because we are even more resolved in the fight against this crime. And we want to attack it at its roots. And the roots for us, our aim, is to target the youths. We are looking to engage the primary schools, secondary schools, to bring that musical message about (getting rid of) hate, violence and crime, and instead spread love through the message of music. It is needed so much more now than ever.”