Two men are now dead and three others injured in three separate shooting incidents that took place in Carenage on Monday night and Port-of-Spain and Laventille yesterday.According to police, Alfredo "Freddo" Coltes, 45, who lived at School Street, Carenage, and Point Cumana, was with his cousin 55-year-old Stephen "Torro" Phillip, of L'Anse Mitan Road, Carenage, when they were shot.
The men were at the corner of Smith Hill and Western Main Road, Carenage, around 9 pm, police said, when a burgundy-coloured Nissan Almera pulled up alongside them. A gunman opened fire on the two men.They were taken to the St James Health Facility, where Coltes died while undergoing treatment. Phillip was treated and transferred to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where he was said to be in a stable condition. Police say the two were shot in an apparent fight for control over drug turf.
In the second killing, 21-year-old Akimo Wilson died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital yesterday after being shot while liming at the corner of Erica Street and Old St Joseph Road, Laventille.Police reports are that Wilson and 32-year-old Nigel Smart were approached by a gunman who opened fire on them shortly after 1.30 pm before walking away.Smart, police said, is warded in a stable condition at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Both men are from Upper Wharton Street, Laventille.
In the third shooting, police said they had arrested a suspect in relation to the shooting of 27-year-old Prince Olatunji Denwood who was shot while walking along lower Henry Street near Ishmael M Khan's bookstore.Police said they found Denwood slumped on the pavement and took him to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he is warded in a stable condition. The shooting took place around midday.
The killings have pushed the murder toll to 38 for the year. For the same period last year, there were 26 murders.