Mom of man shot dead outside Cunupia school – 'Society moving away from morality'

The mother of slain Cunupia caretaker Ronnie Andy Pierre is lamenting the spate of crime and violence, as she feels society is gradually abandoning morality and family values.

Pierre, 41, was gunned down behind the Munroe Road SDMS Hindu School, Munroe Road, Cunupia, on Monday morning.

One of his cousins, who also works on the same piece of land, was chopped on his left wrist, and another cousin was knocked down by their attackers, who drove onto the land in Toyota Hilux vans.

Both other men had been discharged from hospital as of Tuesday afternoon.

Police found and seized a Glock 17 pistol with a magazine containing eight rounds of ammunition and a knife.

The incident led to the early dismissal of classes at the school on Monday.

Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Tuesday, Pierre's mother Lorencia Rampersad said she was at a loss for words to describe her son's murder.

She said the nature of his death was particularly disturbing as it happened mere feet away from a primary school, and called on the authorities to not only find the perpetrators of violent crimes, but criminal overlords responsible for organising such attacks.

Rampersad said this is not the first time she had lost a child to violence, as her younger son, Reinzi Pierre, was shot dead days before his 26th birthday in Diego Martin in August 2014.

Pierre's cousin Shandell Dookie was also killed in that attack.

Rampersad said, "People need to get closer to God, because without God these things won't yield any success. People will quicker go to a party than you will in church."

She also said she was confused over what else could be done to protect people against crime as she feared that criminals were relentless and could strike without being provoked.

"I'm sorry to see my son had to die under these circumstances.

"You can tell parents to keep their children under their wings, you can pray for them. but otherwise. if someone wants to kill you they will come in your house for you.

"You don't have to have a problem with anybody – if they happen to be passing on the street and they don't like you, they can kill you for it."

Rampersad said her son was originally from Paramin but recently began living and working on the land in Cunupia with his cousins.

She said the attack may have been due to a land dispute, but maintained her son was not directly involved in the conflict.

"He just happened to be caught in it. They said when everything was happening, he was walking out, and I don't know if when the van was passing, that's when he got shot."

She said Pierre worked hard to provide for his 16-year-old daughter and was doing three jobs to provide for himself and his family.

Recalling her last conversation with her son, Rampersad said he promised to visit her to install a wind-powered generator at her home, but did not get the chance to do so.

"He was trying to organise a wind turbine for me so I can have my appliances up and running.

"All he used to tell me was that I would see him soon. He just wanted to organise some business first."

The Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region III is continuing enquiries.