Lotto player gunned down after attending murder victim’s funeral (with CNC3 video)

One Big Crime Day

Minutes after he attended the funeral of a neighbour who was murdered on Carnival Tuesday, a 55-year-old man was himself shot dead. According to reports, around 1.15 pm yesterday, Christian Fernandez, of Bon Air Gardens, Arouca, went to a Lotto booth at the corner of La Resource Road North and the Eastern Main Road in D’Abadie. 

Police said Fernandez stopped to place a bet while returning home from the funeral of Kerry Thomas, who was shot dead last Tuesday night. The funeral was held a short distance away from where Fernandez stopped. Eyewitnesses told police that after making his bet, Fernandez walked towards his car and was getting in, when a blue car pulled alongside him. 

The front-seat passenger lowered his window and began shooting at Fernandez. The car sped off before eyewitnesses could recognise Fernandez’s attackers. Fernandez was shot several times in the chest and head and collapsed into the front seat of his car. He died on the scene. Last Tuesday, around 11.45 pm, Thomas, also of Bon Air Gardens, was accosted by two gunmen after dropping a friend home at Waterloo Road, Arouca. He was shot several times and died shortly after. 

Investigators had not determined whether the shooting deaths of Fernandez and Thomas were connected but believe both were gang-related. Senior police in the Northern Division yesterday said patrols would be increased in Bon Air Gardens in an attempt to prevent reprisal attacks and further murders. 

The murder toll for the year now stands at 62. Senior Supt David Abraham, and Insps Eric Parks and Wayne Baptiste are probing both murders.