Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
The owner of a Claxton Bay scrap iron business was ambushed and shot to death in his vehicle as he was leaving home for work on Wednesday morning.
Three masked gunmen fired more than 38 bullets from high-powered firearms, killing Trevaughn Mitchell on the spot and riddling his van with bullets on a street off La Sofie Trace.
The attack occurred around 6.30 am, just after he left his family and entered his Mazda van.
Mitchell, 38, was a father of four. He owned Nu Iron Metal in Claxton Bay.
The screams of his relatives echoed throughout the La Sofie Trace community as undertakers removed his body hours after the attack.
While homicide detectives are still trying to determine a motive, a close friend, who requested anonymity, denied that he was involved in illegal drugs.
Describing his death as an execution, she said his family, friends and residents were shocked and saddened.
She said Mitchell worked hard to establish his business and only bought his van in December.
She said, “He is a workaholic. He loved his job because he knew where he came from to reach this stage. He did not deserve this. Since I know him, he doesn’t even smoke. He doesn’t even put a cigarette in his mouth. He drinks Hennessy and Heineken.”
She said he had three sons and a daughter, ranging in ages from one to 14 years.
She was not confident that the family would receive justice either.
“The way the system is now, he not going to get no justice. People realise they could kill anybody and walk away now because nothing is being done about it.”
Meanwhile, the Trinidad and Tobago Scrap Iron Dealers’ Association (TTSIDA) was plunged into mourning by the killing.
In a statement, the association said Mitchell had been a member for a number of years and was a team player.
The association said Mitchell was instrumental in several initiatives and was also part of the TTSIDA team that met with Government representatives on the recent export ban of scrap iron.
The association said he will be missed, and his death would leave a void that would never be filled.
“Our president, Allan Ferguson, has extended his deepest condolences to the family, friends, employees and the entire Claxton Bay community and prays that they find much-needed comfort during this time. It is our hope and prayers that those who are responsible for this heinous act will be caught and brought to justice,” the release said.
Officers of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region 3 are investigating.