[UPDATED] Triple murder rocks Belmont

BELMONT experienced more murders when three men were killed in a shooting incident on the night of November 12.

Police said around 11.25 pm, residents reported gunshots in the area and said they saw a white Mazda 323, registration number PBP 5970, crashed into a wall on Belmont Circular Road, opposite Willis Street.

Police from the Port of Spain Task Force arrived and saw three men with gunshot wounds.

Two were still alive. They took them to the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH), where they both died around 11.55 pm.

The men have since been identified as Josiah John, 21, Kadeem Andrews, 22, both of Serraneau Road, Belmont, and 28-year-old Algernon Ryan, of Upper St Francois Valley Road, Belmont.

Newsday tried to visit the families of John and Andrews on November 13, but a group of men gathered in front of the house declined to speak.

Newsday called Belmont East councillor Nicole Young on November 13 and asked if she had time for a question.

She was trying to finishing an assignment and told us to WhatsApp her the question.

Asked via WhatsApp if she had spoken to Belmont residents about the upsurge in crime and their concerns, she said, "As with any other incident of this nature, people are understandably shaken. It is a deeply distressing occurrence.

"The senseless loss of young lives cuts even deeper, bringing profound sorrow."

Asked if she had spoken to the police about crime and/or proposed any new crime-fighting initiatives, she said, "I truly believe that's a question for law enforcement authorities."

Newsday also visited the scene of the murder, at the corner of Willis Street and Belmont Circular Road.

Newsday understands when the men were shot, the Mazda crashed into the front wall of Mission Base International Ministries, next to the Belmont Delivery Office.

A man who belongs to the church and did not want to be identified said this was a "norm" in Belmont.

"A couple weeks ago they murdered a man in front of a member's place.

"Thankfully no innocent lives were lost, only an innocent wall."

The man said it would cost $3,000 to repair the damage to the wall.

A resident in the area also spoke to Newsday on the condition of anonymity. He said he heard around ten-15 gunshots around 11.30 pm.

"It sound like it was right in my front yard. The gunshots sounded like a tyre burst. When it continued for a while I realised it was gunshots."

While the resident was sympathetic to the murdered men, he was thankful the incident happened late at night.

"This is a very busy area, particularly on mornings and afternoons, as schoolchildren would be coming and going."

On the Belmont Circular Road there are three secondary schools – Providence Girls' Catholic School, Belmont Secondary School and St Francis Boys'
College.

He urged young men, particularly those between 15 and 30, to be more productive.

"Even if your living circumstance is not favourable, there are ways to improve your life. If you're not good at academics, learn a trade. Crime will allow you to make money really fast – but your life will be short."

Police said investigations were ongoing into the
November 12 triple murder.

Other incidents

Belmont has been the scene of a number of crimes in the last six months.

Most recently, the son of Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada, the chair of the Emancipation Support Committee of TT, Kwesi Wadada, 42, was gunned down while driving on October 23.

On October 13, 19-year-old Shundell Barrow was shot 20 times just after midnight near his father’s home in Gonzales.

On September 27, two suspects believed to be responsible for shooting two men on Serraneau Road were flushed out hours later from a drain they were hiding in, opposite St Francois Girls' College.

Curtis Jones and Pafawa Roberts were shot in Serraneau Road and taken to hospital.

Police received information that the suspects had jumped into a drain opposite St Francois Girls' College. After hours of searching, police found the men in the drain. One was arrested, while the other was shot dead by police.

In June, four men were killed in two separate shootings, minutes apart. Gunmen shot a crowd of people after a football match in Gonzales, Belmont on June 2. One man died at the scene.

The injured men were taken to the PoSGH. However, the same gunmen also arrived and began shooting again.

In total, four men were killed.

The victims were identified as Jayden Reyes, 21, Peter Williams, 31, Kevin "Grimes" King, 33, and Johnathon "Johnny/Jman" Arjoon, 23.

This story was originally published with the title Triple murder in Belmont and has been updated to include additional details. See original post below.

THREE men are dead after a shooting incident late on November 12.

Police said around 11.25 pm, residents in Belmont reported gunshots in the area.

Residents said when they saw a white Mazda 323 registration number PBP 5970 crashed into a wall on Belmont Circular Road, opposite Willis Street.

Police from the Port of Spain Task Force arrived and saw three men with gunshot wounds.

Two were still alive. They took them to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where they both died around 11.55 pm.

The men have since been identified as Josiah John, 21, Kadeem Andrews, 22, both of Serraneau Road, Belmont, and 28-year-old Algernon Ryan, of Upper St Francois Valley Road, Belmont.

Police said investigations are ongoing.

This is a developing story and it will be updated when more information becomes available.