Gunmen storm Arima house on Christmas morning — Man, boy shot dead

A FAMILY of seven in Sesame Street, Pinto, Arima awoke to terror and gunshots on Christmas morning when gunmen stormed their modest home, shooting dead a 14-year-old schoolboy and a 23-year-old man, and leaving the teen's eight-year-old brother badly wounded by a stray bullet.

The deadly attack, which occurred shortly before 6 am on December 25, has left the Pinto community in a state of shock and horror. Pinto residents pointed out to Newsday that mere hours before, on Christmas Eve, parang music was heard in the community as people prepared for Christmas Day.

Instead, body bags and spent bullet shells, policemen and undertakers, were what greeted residents in the hours after the shooting rampage.

Dead is Fabius Malchan, 14, a student of Johnson’s Finishing School. Also killed was a 23-year-old man who had been staying at the Malchan family home for the past three months. Newsday was unable to get the man's identification.

Fabius’s younger brother, Jordan Malchan, eight, spent Christmas Day at the Arima General Hospital, where he remained under medical care after being struck by a stray bullet.

Newsday visited the house around 1 pm and met relatives gathered together and talking quietly. A relative, who asked not to be identified, described the incident as tragic but not entirely unexpected, alleging that another man who was also staying at the house, was the real target of the gunmen.

That man managed to escape by jumping through a window and running off. He has not been seen since.

In the front yard, another relative was busy scrubbing bloodstains from the ground with a yard broom. Inside the house, blood still stained the floor and walls.

The relative who spoke with Newsday claimed that the intended target, who is a friend of a family member, arrived sometime ago and began staying at the house after narrowly escaping previous attempts on his life.

“They came to kill him before, but they ended up killing his brother in Valencia,” the relative said. “He got away from that. Then somewhere else again, they came for him, and someone else got killed. Now he came here and brought death with him.”

The relative said ever since the man arrived unfamiliar vehicles began arriving at the house regularly. "All of a sudden, different vehicles started pulling up. He had all kinds of vehicles that he was renting. Then they started doing illegal stuff. We told them to stop it, but they never took us on.”

Another family member said when the gunmen entered the house, panic erupted. In the confusion, the man who is believed to be the intended target, managed to jump through a window and flee.

“We didn’t realise what was going on. There were innocent children in here at the time," the relative said.

The relative had a stern warning to parents and young people about the dangers of associating with the wrong crowd.

“Stay away from crime. Watch your company,” she urged. “And parents, know where your children are and who they are with. That’s the big thing. Where are your children?”

She emphasised the importance of constant guidance and communication. “Talk to your sons about the company they keep. Talk to your daughters as well. When you talk to them, they forget. You have to encourage them.”

Asked if there were photographs of Fabius and Jordan, the relative visibly became emotional. She said there were not many photos of Fabius.

Other relatives described Fabius as being “just there,” noting his lack of interest in sports or any particular hobbies. Police sources were generally tight-lipped about the incident only saying that investigations were ongoing.

Newsday tried reaching Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander and Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro for comment on the Christmas Day double murder but calls went unanswered.

Subsequent WhatsApp messages were sent to both men asking how concerned authorities were about the involvement of minors in violent incidents, and what immediate policing measures have been implemented in Pinto and surrounding communities to ensure residents’ safety after the shooting.

Questions were also sent regarding longer-term strategies being considered to curb violent crime and better protect vulnerable communities and children. Up to the time of publication, neither Alexander nor Guevarro had responded.

The Pinto double murder came less than 24 hours after another murder. On Wednesday – Christmas eve – a 68-year-old grandmother was beaten to death at her home in Bamboo Settlement No 1.

The victim, Shaffina Hosein of Nanan Street, was discovered in a pool of blood after her 60-year-old companion allegedly confessed to the killing. Reports say the man later attempted to take his own life by ingesting a poisonous substance.