Four men, among them a "community leader," were on Monday night and yesterday morning murdered during incidents in Morvant, Sea Lots and St James. Those killed have been identified as:
�2 Nichel "Paul" Brooks, 23, an electrician, of Trou Macaque Road, Laventille;
�2 Kerron "Leathers" Scott, 25, also of Trou Macaque Road;
�2 Cassius "Cass" Williams, 27, of Eighth Street, Beetham Gardens, Port-of-Spain; and
�2 Carl Samuel, 53, a handyman of Upper Ross Lands, Bournes Road, St James.
Up to late yesterday, the nation's murder figure stood at 76, compared to 91 for the same period last year. In the first incident, at Pelican Extension, Morvant, police said Brooks and Scott were seated in a grey Mitsubishi Lancer at around 8.30 pm on Monday, when they were approached by a gunman. Police said the gunman opened fire on the duo before escaping on foot.
Officers of the Port-of-Spain and Northern Eastern Division Task Forces responded and found both men unconscious in the parked vehicle. They were taken to Port-of-Spain General Hospital where they were pronounced dead. Senior investigators revealed yesterday that both men were known to be gang members, with Scott being a suspect in a series of recent murders.
In an interview at the Forensic Science Centre, St James yesterday, Scott's grandmother, Radhica Montrichard, said her grandson had been in and out of prison in the past few years. "He always in jail and he always have friends...I think it is through his father's death, he end up in that way," she lamented.
Scott's father, Kurt Montrichard, was shot dead near his Trou Macaque home in an incident nine years ago. Brooks' mother Ameril, who was also interviewed by the T&T Guardian at the centre, described her son as a "party man who was always smiling and willing to help." She claimed that her son was repairing the audio system in Scott's car at the time of the incident.
"He was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time," Ameril said. Sgt James, Cpls Jones, Norton and Hunte, of the Region One Homicide Bureau, and Cpl Sunil Bharath, of the Task Force, visited the scene. Several hours after the duo's slaying, a party in Sea Lots ended abruptly after Williams was shot dead and robbed by gunmen.
Senior investigators said yesterday that Williams was well known in his community as a gang leader. Police patrols in the Beetham Gardens area were yesterday increased. Investigators said that around 12.30 pm, Williams was liming at a birthday party held in Sea Lots. They said Williams was approached by two gunmen who shot him 15 times in the head and upper body before relieving him of an expensive gold chain.
Williams was pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer. Williams was among several hundred people who were arrested by police, during the 107-day State of Emergency last year. He was arrested on August 25 last year, while vacationing at a guest house in Lowlands, Tobago. Williams, who was initially labelled by authorities as a "big fish," was charged under the Anti-Gang Act as a gang member. He was later freed of the charges.
Williams was detained by officers of the Port-of-Spain CID, a couple of weeks ago, for questioning relating to numerous crimes, including murder and shooting with intent, police sources said. Inspectors Sahadeo Singh and Robert Williams, and Cpl Sheldon Narine visited the scene. Samuel was stabbed to death by a close male relative while liming at a party, at a basketball court near his home.
Senior Supt Glenda Smith, Insps Henry Dann, Ken Charles, Eric Parks and Sgt Ulric Prescott visited the scene and are continuing investigations.
–Reporting by Camille Clarke and Derek Achong