Freelance Contributor
The grieving mother of 17-year-old Tristian Stephen, who was shot dead on Sunday, has denied reports circulating on social media that her son was killed in a warehouse following an altercation with his employer.
Susan Swaroopsingh, who works as a security officer with Guardian Media, said her son was killed in a cowshed directly behind their home at Blake Avenue, Sangre Grande. She said he was shot three times in the chest and died in the cowshed.
Recounting the events that have left her and her family traumatised and shocked, Swaroopsingh said around 8.30 pm on Sunday, her son was asleep in his room.
She said he put his phone to charge in his sister’s room before going to take a rest.
“I told him to feed the puppy dog, and he responded by saying he not feeding any dog.”
She added, “However, he did feed the dog, went and collected his phone from his sister’s room.”
She said this was the last conversation she had with her son.
He then left the house and went outside, where he was playing games on his phone.
Swaroopsingh said a friend came by and her son left with him.
Minutes later, she heard three loud explosions coming from the back of the house, near the cowshed.
She was later informed that her son had been shot and was dead.
“I screamed and could not believe what I was hearing,” she said.
Swaroopsingh described her son as a very quiet person who never disrespected anyone and was loved by people in the community.
She said what was strange was that her son was afraid of the dark and the furthest he would go was to lime with the boys across the road.
She said he was jovial with his two sisters and although they would always have their fights, he was loved by both of them.
Sangre Grande police and Homicide Officers of Region 2 visited the scene and are continuing investigations.
The District Medical Officer viewed the body and ordered its removal to a funeral home pending a post-mortem examination.
Swaroopsingh told Guardian Media that the post-mortem was scheduled for yesterday. However, it was rescheduled after the homicide officers were unable to contact the funeral agency despite several calls.
