Mother of murdered Longdenville man: Keep extending SoE

The mother of a 32-year-old man who was gunned down in Longdenville on January 21 is calling for the continuous extension of the state of emergency (SoE), similar to Jamaica’s approach, until the country’s crime situation is brought under control.

The man was identified as Denzil Daniel.

Police investigations revealed around 1 pm on January 21, Daniel was with his girlfriend walking through a track from O'Connor Boulevard to Lamont Street.

Daniel's girlfriend was a distance ahead of him and had walked out of the track and around a corner when she heard several gunshots.

She ran into a nearby yard for safety and came out when the gunshots finished.

She went back to the track and saw Daniel lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his body.

She called for help and was assisted by her brother who took Daniel to the Chaguanas Health Facility.

Police said around 1.16 pm they received the report of gunshots at Lamont Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas.

When they arrived five minutes later they saw a group of people on the road, but no one willing to give information.

They went into a track and saw several spent shell casings and projectiles.

Someone told the police that a man had been shot in the track and was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility.

Daniel died around 1.41 pm. Police found three projectiles and 8 x 9 mm S&B spent casings.

Police have no motive for Daniel's murder and said investigations were ongoing.

Newsday spoke to Daniel's mother at Forensic Science Centre, St James on January 22 who said her son was a funny, easy-going and playful man who loved his only child – an eight-year-old son.

"He loved to play his football and loved playing games with his son. He was a family man and was the breadwinner for me."

Daniel's mother said she spoke to him moments before his death.

"I came home from a private job and he and his son on the bed playing games.

"I say, 'This hour the damn day allyuh playing game. Get up and do something,' and he said he had to go pay his sou-sou, so he went and bathe and thing to go do that. He left me home washing and then I got the news."

She said the family, specifically his son was not taking the news well.

"He son not taking it nice at all. His son vomiting, diarrhoea, he crying every minute. He have to get counselling."

She said police had already contacted them about counselling for Daniel's son.

His mother said Daniel was a shopkeeper and former professional footballer with Central FC.

She described the state of crime as ridiculous. Asked if SoE was making a difference, she said, "Not to me. No sense whatsoever."

"They wait until the crime reach too high to try to control it. They wait too long. This gang thing take over now."

She believed that continuously extending the SoE would be a better approach to controlling crime rather than doing nothing.

(With reporting by Gregory McBurnie)