Police: Sea Lots shooting may have triggered Laventille triple murder

A drive-by shooting in Sea Lots late last month may have been the reason for a fatal shooting in Eastern Quarry Road, Laventille, on Sunday night, police said.

Investigators said they believed the killing of Rondell Thomas, in Pioneer Drive, Sea Lots, on June 30, was linked to the murders of three people, including a 16-year-old boy, during a card game in Laventille.

Police said while they did not have reason to suspect any of the three killed in the shooting were involved in Thomas' murder, gang members most likely did so to send a message to their rivals that their attacks had consequences.

Damien Granger, 37, Shermarke Wickham, 31, and 15-year-old Servol student Saleem Peters were gunned down during a game of crazy eights at a parlour at around 11.05 pm on Sunday when a black Nissan Tiida drove up and a gunman fired at the crowd before driving off.

Granger was shot in the back and died at the Port of Spain General Hospital. Peters and Wickham died on the spot.

Police said gangs in Sea Lots and Laventille had a violent history of battle over turf.