Shooting closes New City Mall

The New City Mall (formerly Drag Mall) on Independence Square, Port-of-Spain was temporarily closed down yesterday when an East Dry River man was shot in his hip while trying to rob a security guard of his gun. According to investigations, shortly before 3 pm, a security officer attached to Property Protectors Ltd of Vistabella had cause to speak to a man smoking weed at the mall when the confrontation took place.

During the melee the smoker and another friend attempted to wrest the gun from the guard’s holster when a shot rang out hitting the Batson Place, East River Laventille man, age 24, in his hip. A group of officers on patrol, alerted by the gunshot stopped and contacted an EHS vehicle, which took the bleeding man to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

Meanwhile police have seized the guard’s weapon and detained him for questioning. During the shutdown, everyone in the mall was interviewed and later allowed to leave. The mall was re-opened for business later in the afternoon. Cpl Samaroo of the Port-of-Spain CID is continuing inquiries.