Driver of murdered teen warned before shooting: 'This area hot'

Minutes before 15-year-old Akid Duke was gunned down, his driver, who was in the car with him, was warned how dangerous the area was and told to leave.

Duke and the driver were waiting for his mother, who was at a job interview at a businessplace on 12th Avenue, Bon Air Gardens, Arouca, when Duke was shot dead.

Police said Duke was playing on his cellphone in the passenger side seat of the driver's Toyota Axio car when two men approached Duke and instructed him to lower the glass.

The men told both Duke and his driver, "The area is hot," before telling them to leave.

Investigators said the driver went to a nearby shop, where he bought cigarettes and began to smoke before getting back in the car.

Shortly after a man approached the car from the front and shot Duke several times.

The driver drove to the Arouca Police Station and police took Duke to the Mt Hope Hospital, where he was declared dead at 3.30 pm.

Police found 12 spent shells at the spot where he was shot.

Newsday spoke to Duke's cousin Tracy Ferguson at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Wednesday. He said he did not believe the news when he first heard about the shooting.

"I was sleeping at the time and the phone call from the relatives woke me up. At first I thought I was still dreaming when I heard what happened but I realised this was real."

Ferguson said Duke's mother was too emotional to visit the centre to identify her son's body on Wednesday.

He said Duke, who was from Nelson Street, was a fourth form student of South East Port of Spain Secondary School, had a passion for football and dreamed of creating a better life for his family.

"He was one of the nicest people you could know. He was well-liked by everyone in the community.

"Right now I'm just praying the father can give me the strength to get through this."

Newsday visited the area where the murder happened and tried to speak with officials at the company where Duke's mother was being interviewed, but they declined to comment.

One resident said while the area could be dangerous, he was shocked by Duke's murder.

"I think it's ridiculous what happened. It's really sad what happened to that young boy. Around here the violence goes on and off."

Another woman said while she was only visiting, she knew the area had a reputation for being dangerous.

Newsday spoke to an Arouca police officer, who described Duke's murder as "senseless," as he had no ties to criminals or organised crime. He said the killing was possibly linked to an upsurge in gang activity in and around Arouca, where members of the ABG gang were at war with Rasta City gang members over turf.

"There is absolutely nothing to suggest he (Duke) was involved in any kind of crime or illegal activities.

"What we can deduce, based on the information we gathered, is maybe the killers saw his hairstyle and thought he was a member of the Rasta City gang. Other than that we don't know why anyone would want to kill him."

Another officer said the murder of 31-year-old Jaron "Kiteman" Calliste at Mc Connie Street, Tacarigua, last month prompted several patrols and exercises in the area.

He said there would be more police activity in different parts of the Arouca station district as a result.

He also called on the public to do their part by reporting any suspicious activities, whether by day or night.

"A lot of times these gangs send people in an area to scout around and see what the layout is like. If the people see any suspicious people or vehicles prowling around, they should call the police, because we will be there on the ground nearby."