Man charged in murder of girl, 13

DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Geoffrey Henderson yesterday ordered police to charge a 23-year-old Laventille man with Monday night’s murder of 13-year-old Joanna “Sookie” Walker, as well as the attempted murder of 21-year-old hairdresser Adeola Graham.

The man, who lives at Hamlet Trace, St Barb’s, is due to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today, but police said this could be tentative since he may be placed on other identification parades. The man was arrested the same night of the shooting incident, which occurred on Mentor Alley, a stone’s throw from where Walker lived.  He was charged by Cpl Steve Sookdeo of the Besson Street CID. Walker had just stepped outside her home to get a breath of fresh air when she got caught in the line of fire by two men who were reportedly gunning for a Muslim man.

Relatives told Newsday that Walker decided to go outside after she lost a game of All Fours.  She was playing the game with other siblings.  She was shot once and died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Walker’s death brought to 15 the number of teenagers killed for the year.  Of the 15, 12 have been shot while the other three were stabbed.  Seven people have been charged in the 15 killings thus far.