Less than three months after he was wounded in a shooting, a 27-year-old former murder accused was shot dead in Beetham Gardens, Laventille, on Tuesday night.According to reports, around 8.45 pm, Jovan "Doogoo" Maxwell, of Pelican Extension, Morvant, and a friend were driving west along the Priority Bus Route.Police said when the two men reached near Sixth Street, Beetham Gardens, a gunman began shooting at the vehicle.
Maxwell, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was hit several times in his stomach.His friend was not injured and drove directly to the Besson Street Police Station where he reported the incident to police.Maxwell was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.Investigators said yesterday that Maxwell was a well known gang member and an affiliate of several gang leaders in Laventille. Homicide detectives have classified his murder as gang related.
On May 2, Maxwell was shot in his face while driving with Beverly Nurse, the widow of slain Laventille community leader Mark Guerra.Less than two weeks later, 38-year-old Nurse, of John John, Laventille, was shot dead in front of a shop at her home.At the time of Nurse's murder, Maxwell was recovering at hospital, from injuries from the previous shooting.In March last year, Maxwell was acquitted of the murder of 18-year-old Carenage resident Darryl Lewis by a 12-member jury in the Port-of-Spain High Court.
Lewis, of L'Anse Mitan Road, Carenage, died after he was shot in the head in an incident at Upper Espinet Street, Calvary Hill, Morvant, on August 23, 2004.Before he was eventually acquitted, Maxwell spent almost eight years in remand and faced two previous trials. His first trial resulted in a hung jury, while his first retrial was aborted shortly after it commenced. The murder toll for the year stood at 195 up to late yesterday.
Senior Supt John Daniel and detectives of the Region One Homicide Bureau are probing Maxwell's murder.
