Second victim, 16, dies after Brasso shooting

A second victim, a 16-year-old boy, has died after the shooting on October 15 in Brasso Village, in central Trinidad, that claimed the life of a young construction worker and left two others seriously wounded.

Darias Shadrack, 16, a student of Tabaquite Secondary School, died on October 17 while receiving treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

“He lost too much blood. They (hospital staff) really tried with him. He never regained consciousness,” a close relative told Newsday by phone on the afternoon of October 17.

Darias had been critically injured in the shooting that occurred around 2 am on October 15 at an unfinished wooden structure in front of his family’s home along Caparo Valley Brasso Road.

His condition was so bad that police initially reported that he had died on arrival at the hospital. Further checks revealed that he was in a coma, clinging to life.

Darias was one of four victims hit when gunmen opened fire at the house.

His schoolmate, Jerryl Ganness, 15, and brothers Christopher Ricardo “Ricky” Joseph, 20, and Colly Joseph, 23, were also shot.

Christopher, a construction worker from Devenish Hill, Tabaquite, died at the scene.

The others were rushed to the Chaguanas Health Centre and later transferred to Mt Hope.

Darias’ death marks another tragedy for his family. His brother, Kirdy Ramdhanie, was killed in a shooting in Enterprise, Chaguanas, in December 2024.

Jerryl, who remains hospitalised in serious condition, had reportedly moved out of his Los Attajos home earlier this year due to concerns expressed by his family about his behaviour.

Colly is also said to be in serious condition.

The Joseph family has also mourned the loss of Rajindra “Syo” Ramcharan, 33, their mother’s uncle, who was shot and killed in an orange field in Tabaquite in February. Relatives believe Ramcharan was lured to his death.

The grieving parents of the Joseph brothers, Marsha and Smith Joseph, have called on police investigators to dedicate full effort to solving this fatal shooting and other unsolved crimes.

Police from the Central Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, are continuing the investigation.

Investigators believe the motive to be drug-related.