An ongoing war between the Rasta City and Muslim gangs led to the early morning shooting of Dwayne King, whose life remained in the balance at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital up to last night.
This was revealed by King’s father, Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union president general Michael Annisette, who spoke to Guardian Media last night moments after visiting his son, who underwent a marathon surgery to save his life and was under the watchful eyes of armed police officers following the procedure.
Annisette pleaded with the warring gangs to put down their guns and stop the bloodshed sweeping our land, saying it was time they come to a truce.
“I am always willing to sit down and talk to young black people in terms of the way of life, because I think I have enough experience,” Annisette said.
King, 40, was shot in his chest, groin, shoulder and left hand by masked gunmen who opened fire on him as he sat in his Nissan Tiida in rush hour traffic on the Beetham Highway around 8.32 am yesterday. The gunmen fled the scene in a Toyota AD wagon, which was later discovered by police at Production Drive, Sea Lots.
Asked why King, who had a passenger in car, was the lone target in the shooting, Annisette replied “Well, he is a Muslim from Cocorite and we know there is this unfortunate war between the Rasta City gangs and Muslim gangs. There was a little pulling and tugging between the two areas. That could have triggered it.”
He said his son, who is the third of 12 children, was deeply rooted in his faith and converted to Islam after graduating from secondary school.
Annisette said he has advised his son that as a Muslim in a Cocorite community and with the ongoing war between the two groups, “you are going to be targeted whether you are involved or not and you have to be careful and you have to be mindful. You are a big person. I cannot think for you and all I could do is to express my wisdom as a father to you. That is the reality.”
Annisette said people have accused his son of being involved in drugs and illegal firearms, but he denied this was so.
“Every time a young African gets killed or shot the narrative seems to be, without any evidence, that they are involved in some kind of illicit activities. I can vouch and say my son was in no way involved in this. I normally don’t stick out my neck for anybody.”
But a visibly worried Annisette admitted his son was a community leader who raised funds for the district’s upliftment.
“Yes, he runs his own business. Yes, he gives people work. If that is a gang leader, well.”
Annisette said he would also not live in fear following his son’s brazen shooting, noting that when gang members and killers can’t get at their prime target they hunt down their family members.
“What is to be will be.”
Asked if his son may have to flee the country to safeguard his life, Annisette said everything in life happens for a reason.
“Sometimes you cannot second guess what happens in this life. You have to learn from it and move on. I am hoping with this incident that wisdom…not only for him but for both communities, that good sense prevails,” Annisette said.
“You don’t fight fire with fire, which I don’t support and don’t agree with. We need to get to the root cause of what is happening. These guys are misguided youths. How do they get the guns and drugs? Nobody talks about those kinds of issues.”
But Annisette said he knows he gunmen failed in their attempt to end his son’s life and may return to finish the job.
“The Man above knows best and we have to trust in Him. I cannot sit down here and second guess. I come from an African tradition where we believe in the forces above and they determine and dictate what happens. Man is not God and therefore I leave everything in the hands of the higher being.”