Another man killed in Laventille

The murder rate continues to rise as another Laventille man was gunned down on Sunday night. The victim is  Nigel Chase, 21, of L’eau Place, Laventille Road.

Chase’s murder followed two other killings that occurred in the same area over the weekend which the police deemed revenge attacks. Chase’s murder brings the number of murders for the year to 204. Reports state that Chase and three other men were standing outside a birthday party when three other men, who were passing by, started shooting at the group. Chase and another man was shot. Chase was shot in the buttocks while his friend, 19-year-old Kacey Johnson of Tilbury Place, Laventille, was shot in the shoulder. Both men were rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital by officers involved in joint police/army patrols in the area. Chase, who had undergone emergency surgery, succumbed to his injuries at about 3 am on Monday. Johnson was treated for his injuries and discharged.

When Newsday visited Chase’s home, his relatives spoke openly to the media, explaining that they believed Chase’s murder was the result of gang warfare in their area. His sister Judith said she strongly felt her brother’s murder stemmed from two murders which occurred in the area over the weekend. “Everytime somebody get kill in John John or St Barbs or anywhere else other than up here (L’eau Place), they does blame fellas from here. So is like ah war. But Nigel is not involved in anything. He just went to the party and that was it.” The sister of the deceased said her brother was a hustler down at the port who was trying to make an honest living. She said he never served any jail time and was only held once by the police for possession of a knife. No one has been held for Chase’s murder but police say there are leads as to who the killers are. Officers of the Besson Street Police station are investigating.