Black Immigrant Daily News
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A series of unrelated shootings across the east-west corridor on Tuesday afternoon led to the deaths of two people and the woundings of nine others.
In the first incident 40-year-old Steffon Garrick was gunned down at the Pamberi panyard at around 4.45 pm.
Police said they received a report of a shooting at the panyard and went to the area where they found Garrick’s body and a wounded man.
Officers took the wounded man to the hospital.
Shortly before police got to the scene a passer-by took another wounded man to the hospital.
Both men remained warded at the hospital up to Wednesday afternoon.
A district medical officer visited the scene and declared Garrick dead.
Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Wednesday, one of Garrick’s relatives said he was hired by workers to help decorate West Mall and was on his way to work when he stopped to talk to his friends.
She insisted Garrick was not known to be involved in any criminal activities and believed he was not the target of the gunmen.
“He was always a good fella, in fact that very afternoon he was hired to help some workers decorate the mall.
“It’s really sad you could just stop to talk to someone and just like that you get killed in the process.
“This crime situation is really out of control, because everywhere you look it seems new killings are happening.”
Hours later at around 8.30 pm, a 47-year-old fire officer was shot dead and two men wounding in Sangre Grande.
Police said Simone Ramsaroop was driving her blue Nissan Versa with two friends to attend a function in Jacob Coat, North Eastern Settlement, Sangre Grande when four men dressed in black shot at the car from the side of the road before running away.
Residents heard the gunshots and called the police.
Officers from the Eastern Division Task Force and the Sangre Grande CID visited the scene and found Ramsaroop bleeding in the driver’s seat.
She died at the scene.
The two men were taken to the hospital and are in critical condition.
Officers from the Special Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU) found several spent shells from pistols and rifles.
Police said a Glock pistol was found in Ramsaroop’s car but were unable to say whether she was the holder of a Firearms Users Licence (FUL).
Investigators suspect she was killed as a result of an ongoing gang war in Sangre Grande.
Ramsaroop was assigned to the Arima Fire Station.
Newsday was told Ramsaroop lived in Rowland Gardens, Trincity, and visited the area but did not find any relatives.
Contacted for comment, president of the Fire Officers’ Association Leo Ramkissoon said, “As you would imagine, like the rest of the officers in the fire service, the Fire Service Association including myself, we are all plunged into sadness with the tragic loss of our comrade, firefighter Simone Ramsaroop.
“The circumstances as we have been informed is that it was a murder and the only information we have is only by way of media reports.
“We do hope some measure of justice is served in this matter and that her family, her friends and colleagues are in receipt of divine consolation and that we are able to make it through this rough time.”
At around the same time as Ramsaroop’s murder, a 16-year-old boy was shot in Tunapuna.
Police said the boy was walking on Water Lane with a 28-year-old man when a black Nissan Tiida drove near them.
Men in the car shot the boy who ran away with the man through St Vincent Street as their attackers drove off.
Tunapuna police took them to the hospital where the boy was treated for gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and right leg.
The man was unharmed.
Minutes later at around 8.50 pm four men were shot while liming in Arima.
Police said the men ages 28, 31, 36 and 37 were liming at the D’Abadie Community Car Wash on the Eastern Main Road, when a black Hyundai Tucson drove near them.
Men got out of the car and shot at the group hitting all four men before getting back in and driving off.
Passers by took the men to the hospital where they remained up to Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators said three of the men were shot in their legs while the fourth was shot in his chest, leg and stomach.
Police also said they found 43 spent shells, 20 of which had markings which suggested they were issued to the regiment.
As of Wednesday morning the murder toll was 535 compared to 382 for the same period last year.
NewsAmericasNow.com
