Russian Roulette angle in death of Santa Cruz man

SANTA Cruz police are investigating a “Russian Roulette” angle in the death of La Canoa resident Emanuel James, while relatives are claiming murder by a rival village gang. According to reports, at 9.30 am yesterday, the father of one was sitting with two men at his girlfriend Michelle Hernandez’s home on Monroe Road, La Canoa, when a shot went off, hitting him in the face. Two men emerged from the room holding their hands high, saying he was dead. The men ran to his parents home on Vickey Street, where they told the family what happened and hired a car to take him to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to police, “All our information points to Russian Roulette,” but we are keeping our investigation open as we have had other reports. “We do not have a final position on it and we are yet to make a final determination.” Close relatives of the dead man, however, expressed a different view and pointed to two members of a rival gang from Bourg Mulatresse who killed Edison, as James was fondly known, to “show their rank.” “A few week ago, the members of a gang from the other village robbed one of our youths of a $1,000. They believed we were coming back to get them, so they came with a mission to kill someone to show how powerful they are. “Edison was not into anything. He limed with us sometimes but he was more concerned with his child and working hard. “The day before he was killed, Edison took up a bike and rode down to the village where he had a verbal confrontation with one of the gang members and, knowing him, he would talk back. “Several people saw the men running away from the house after the shooting. He was not playing with any gun.”

When Newsday visited the family’s home, his sister refused to speak to the media, but a close relative said the gang members were always robbing and threatening them. One relative told Newsday “this eh end here.” “We always reporting the robberies and threats to the police but they never take us on. Now there is a murder dozens of police come. “We will take matters in our own hands since the police don’t want to assist. “Edison was a good man, he probably took his little smoke but that was all, he did not deserve to die so. “People saw these men in the area and even saw them running from the scene, so how can the police say Russian Roulette?” asked the angry relative.