By Sue-Ann Wayow
EVEN in a State of Emergency (SoE) and a curfew in effect, nine people were killed on Wednesday including two women in separate incidents.
Six of the nine killings occurred between 8.30am and 1pm.
Three bodies were found with chop wounds around their necks and the other victims died after being shot.
Police reported that around 8.50am, Jasper Jones, 32, of St John Road, St Augustine, was at his shop at the same address in company with Callistus Mathew Perreira aka Ming, 30, and Khalil Jackson aka Tallo, 23, who worked in the shop when a white AD wagon pulled up.
Five men armed with firearms, one with a heavy arm began firing several shots in their direction. Jones fell on the spot where he died. Perreira was taken to the Mt Hope hospital by members of the St Joseph CID along with Jackson and was pronounced dead on arrival. Jackson was treated and is in a stable condition, police said.
While on the scene of the shooting, the officers received information of a body found in a forested area approximately two miles away.
On checking, PC Vitalis and other officers discovered three bodies, one female and two males with chop wounds to their necks lying on the ground. They were identified as Mustaph Mohammed, 44, and his wife Amanda Mohammed, 39, both of Upper St John Road St Augustine and Kendall Rivers also from Upper St John Road St Augustine.
The District Medical Officer Dr Gopaul was contacted, visited both scenes and made her pronouncements.
Scene one was processed by Northern Division Crime Scene officers and Scene two processed by Region 1 Port-of-Spain Homicide Crime Scene experts.
All the bodies were removed by Ideal Funeral Home pending a post mortem at the Forensic Science Centre.
Senior officers visiting the scene were DCP Jacobs, ACP Belfon, Snr Supt Paul, Snr Supt Butler, Supt Montrichard, Asp Rowley- Powder, Asp Douglas, Insp Highly, Insp Pitt, Sgt La Pierre and members of the Area West Task Force. Homicide Region 2 officers were led by Sgt Campbell.
Police suspect the motive was gang related involving those six persons.
More killings of persons from St John Road
Police also reported that around 8.40am, Dawn Mc Kenna, 40, of St John Road, St Augustine, was driving a motor vehicle proceeding east along the Arima Old Road in company with her son, Jordan Mc Kenna and another man identified as Jeremy, when they were blocked by a silver Tiida.
Two men alighted from the vehicle and fired shots in the direction of the vehicle. All three occupants died at the scene.
Shooting in St James
And Jamal Jones, of Aboud Circular Road, St James was shot and killed at his home in St James.
Police stated that around 12.45pm Jones and his family were inside of their garage when they saw the suspect with a firearm shooting in the air. Jones approached the suspect and told him to stop and the suspect fired at Jones hitting him about his body. Jones’ family transported him to the St James infirmary.
He died while undergoing emergency medical treatment at 1.05pm.