WASA worker killed in drive-by

A 27-year-old employee of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) was shot dead early yesterday in what police said was a drive-by shooting in Barataria. His killing pushed the murder toll to 70 up to late yesterday. Police said around 7.45 am Eddy Spence, of Malick, Barataria, was walking near the corner of Seventh Avenue and Riverside Road, when a heavily-tinted car pulled alongside him.

The front and back seat passengers lowered their windows and began shooting at Spence, who tried to evade them by running down a nearby track. He was shot a dozen times in the chest, back and head. Residents said after Spence collapsed on the road, the car sped off.

Police from the North Eastern Division Task Force led by Cpl Sunil Bharath were on patrol in the area and responded within minutes of the shooting. They took Spence to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigators are working on the theory that Spence was involved in a recent murder in San Juan area and his murder was a reprisal attack.

Spence is believed to have links to a criminal gang which operates in his community, police said, and his murder has been classified as gang-related. The corresponding murder toll for the months of January and February last year was 61. There was a total of 377 murders last year, according to statistics from the Police Service’s Crime and Problem Analysis Branch.

Supt Baldeo Nanan and detectives of the Region Two Homicide Bureau are probing Spence’s murder.

WASA mourns

In a statement yesterday, WASA said Spence was an office assistant/driver for the authority’s Facilities Management Department. He had been employed with the authority for five years. The statement said: “Eddy was well liked by co-workers, who described him as an affable, hard-working and helpful individual. We at WASA extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.”