[UPDATED] Carlsen Field, 27, man shot dead, father wounded in home invasion

HOURS after returning from attending his grandfather’s wake, 27-year-old Christopher Christian was shot dead in a home invasion in Carlsen Field in Chaguanas that has left his father fighting for his life at hospital.

Livestock farmer Christopher died in the family’s home at Connector Road on July 8, shortly after 6 am.

His father, Matthew Perez Christian, 66, a butcher who sells at the St James market, was shot and wounded. He is at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

At the family’s home, Christopher’s mother and Christian’s wife, Linda Frankie, appeared to be in a daze as she recalled the harrowing ordeal.

Several people were gathered at the house to offer their condolences.

Fighting back tears, Frankie recalled returning home with her family around 1 am after attending the wake for her 79-year-old father in Mc Bean Village in Couva. He died a few days ago.

“Christopher and my father were very close. When we were coming back home, we were talking about the funeral plans and then we went to sleep. Today we were supposed to be going out to organise the date and time,” she told Newsday.

“I did not get to talk to Christopher for the morning. I was inside when I heard my husband bawl out.”

Four masked gunmen walked into the house from the back and announced a robbery.

Christian, Christopher and another male relative struggled with the gunmen in the living room. They managed to push the men back outside and close the door. But the gunmen kicked it down and came back inside with a vengeance.

Frankie believes the gunmen intended to wipe out the entire family after her relatives put up a fight.

The gunmen shot the father and son. From what she was told, they pointed a gun at the other relative and pulled the trigger, but for some reason the weapon did not go off.

After killing Christopher, the intruders ran off empty-handed. They remain at large.

Christian was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre and transferred to the hospital.

A district medical officer declared his son dead on the floor of the living room.

Frankie believes the same bullet that hit her husband in the stomach fatally struck her son.

“My husband is aware that our son died.

"Christopher was a very helpful child. He helps with the (cow) farm.

"My children do not get into any trouble. They are here or on the farm when they are not in church. This is shocking. I cannot believe it,” Frankie added.

Like other residents, she said the community was once peaceful and safe. But she recalled that about two weeks ago, bandits ransacked another villager’s home and robbed them. Frankie added that, of late, bandits seem to be striking a few homes at the same time.

Sasha Ramnaran-Hosein, one of the directors of the NGO Carlsen Field Farmers Revival Committee, also weighed in on the murder.

She said the Freeport police, the Praedial Larceny Squad, led by Insp Haspoodeen, the NGO, and farmers have been working together to combat crime in the farming community. An emergency meeting was held on July 7 and they raised several ongoing concerns.

She said in the past few months, there had been reports of praedial larceny or home invasion almost every other night.

“It started with predial larceny, escalated with the perpetrators starting to beat people in the invasions, and this morning we had the murder.

"Farmers are fearful to get out of their homes,” Ramnaran-Hosein said.

“There is a direct link between increased squatting on state lands and home invasions. If a farmer without heir dies, people would come and squat.”

To protect themselves, members of the NGO have been lobbying for farmers to get licensed guns.

Another issue raised at the meeting was the lack of signs, which sometimes makes it difficult for the police to respond promptly to reports.

“We have been trying to get signs including ‘No loitering’ and road signs, because we cannot do it ourselves. The commissioner of state lands can do it,” she said. “Some officers do not know the area and depend on the sign.”

The police said all reports made in the division are being investigated.

Central Division and Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region Three police are investigating the shootings.

This story was originally published with the title Carlsen Field man shot dead, father wounded in home invasion and has been updated to include additional details. See original post below.

A HOME invasion in Carlsen Field in Chaguanas on July 8 has left a 27-year-old man dead and his father fighting for his life at hospital.

Christopher Christian died in the family’s home at Connector Road. His father, Matthew Perez Christian, 66, was shot and wounded.

The police said shortly before 6 am, four gunmen walked into the house and announced a robbery.

Father and son struggled with the gunmen and both were shot.

The father was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre, then transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope. A district medical officer declared the son dead in the house.

Central Division and Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region Three police are investigating.