[UPDATED] Barrackpore man killed, another wounded in shooting

SEVERAL residents from Platanite Trace in Barrackpore are fearful for their lives after gunmen opened fire on a group of people on the roadside in Barrackpore on the night of January 12, killing a 21-year-old coconut vendor and injuring another person.

Kelvin Mohammed, also known as Punsin, from Julien Trace Extension, died at the scene.

A 22-year-old coconut vendor was hit and wounded, and up to the afternoon of January 13, he was in the ICU at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) fighting for his life. He underwent emergency surgery, and a relative said doctors removed one of his kidneys.

The shooting occurred around 8 pm at Platanite Trace, off Rochard Road.

At the scene on January 13, there were bullet holes in the windshield of a car that was parked nearby.

“Kelvin was a cool fella. Here it was like the range, only gunshots were firing last night. We are frightened because we do not have gunmen coming in the back here. These fellas just jumped out of the car and people started running for their lives,” a resident told Newsday.

“More people could have been killed. Kelvin's (22nd) birthday would have been next week. Sometimes people have cases (in court) and turn around their lives.”

Newsday learned that Mohammed had several matters, including gun and ammunition charges, pending in court.

Residents were unable to say if the murder was linked to the charges.

Mohammed was among a group of men liming by the roadside around 8 pm when a silver car drove past them.

The car turned around further along the street. On the way back out, it passed the group and stopped nearby. Three masked men got out and began shooting at them.

The crowd scattered, and Mohammed managed to run a short distance before collapsing and dying under the shed of a wooden house. The shooters returned to the car, which then sped out of the street.

The injured man, who is also a coconut vendor, was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility and transferred to the hospital.

A close male relative was killed in 2011 in a police-involved shooting.

There were unconfirmed reports that two other people were also hit.

Meanwhile, DMO Dr Santlal examined Mohammed’s body and ordered it to be moved to the mortuary at the SFGH for safekeeping, pending an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

Insp Mohammed and WPCs Marshall and Cadettte and other officers from the Southern Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, visited the scene and collected evidence. Cpl Jaggessar is leading the investigation.

The police recovered 26 spent shells – 21 (9 mm spent shells) with markings CBC 9 mm LUGER and five (9mm spent shells) with markings TEC 9mm LUGER.

The police do not have a motive, and the killers remained at large.

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

GUNMEN opened fire on a group of people by the roadside in Barrackpore on the night of January 12, killing a 23-year-old coconut vendor and injuring someone else.

Jason Kevin Mohammed, also known as Punsin, from Julien Trace, died at the scene. A 22-year-old resident was also wounded.

The shooting occurred around 8 pm at Platanite Trace, off Rochard Road. The group was hanging out by the roadside when a silver car stopped nearby. Three masked men got out and began shooting at them.

The crowd scattered, and Mohammed managed to run a short distance before collapsing and dying under a shed. The shooters returned to the car, which then drove towards Julien Trace.

The injured man was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility. Meanwhile, DMO Dr Santlal examined Mohammed’s body and ordered it to be moved to the mortuary at the San Fernando General Hospital for safekeeping, pending an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

Officers from the Southern Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, visited the scene and collected evidence. Cpl Jaggessar is leading the investigation.