T&T murder toll climbs to 62
(Trinidad Guardian) The murder toll now stands at 62 following two more murders on Saturday night.
The victims were identified as Ricardo “Boneyman” Chew, 38, of Nelson Street and Isaiah Rampersad, 18, of Malabar. Another man, identified as Akeeba Ghanny, also of Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, was also shot and wounded.
According to a police report, at about 9.30 pm Ghanny was on his way to his Nelson Street apartment when he was shot in one of his arms. Police said when they were responding to that shooting they noticed the body of a man in a drain. The man was later identified to be Chew of Apartment 62-64. Police said he was shot several times about the body.
The scene was visited by several units of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) and Supt Gaffar, Insp Carr, Sgt Solomon, Ag Cpl Guerra and PCs Hosein, Finley, Jobe, Smith and Lyndon.
In the Malabar incident, at about 9.20 pm Rampersad, of Banyan Boulevard, was liming with a group of friends when a silver B14 pulled up alongside them. Police said one man came out opened fire on the group, then got back into the vehicle which sped off.
Rampersad, Jeriel Samuel, 23, of Tirite Lane, Malabar and Shakir George, 20, of Belle View Avenue, Arima Old Road, Arima, were shot and wounded. However, Rampersad was taken to the Arima District Hospital and died while undergoing treatment. Samuel and George were up to press time warded in stable conditions at the hospital. Police recovered about 15 spent shells were recovered on the scene.
Earlier Saturday, Curtis
Franklyn, 28, of Ratchet Hill, Waterhole, Cocorite, was at his home when someone knocked at his door around 3 am claiming they were police. Police said when Franklyn open-ed the door he was confronted by two gunmen dressed in camouflage clothing.
Franklyn attempted to run away but the gunmen opened fire on him before escaping. Franklyn was taken to the St James Infirmary where he died while undergoing treatment. Police are yet to determine a motive for the killing.
In an unrelated shooting incident at about 8 am on Saturday, three females, including a teenager and a US citizen, were shot and wounded while in a car on their way to their respective homes after attending a party in Chaguaramas.
According to a police report, the females were passengers of a vehicle that was travelling east along the Western Main Road, Carenage, near L’anse Mitan Road, when gunmen ran out of a track in front of the vehicle and opened fire.
Kadija Nurse, 17, from Maryland, USA; Afisha Bonaparte, 22, of Bath Street, Port-of-Spain and Elaalyah Richards, 19, from Fifth Street, Beetham Gardens, were shot and injured.
They were all taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where they were treated and warded in stable conditions.