State witness shot dead in Laventille

AT around 12.45 yesterday morning, a State witness was executed mafia style in Laventille while his mother and cousin were both shot in what police believe was a warning against their association with a rival gang-member. Keon King, 19, of Upper Rose Hill, East Dry River in Laventille, was shot dead when two masked men burst open the front door of his house and shot his mother Bernadine King, 39, in her hand. The killers then shot his cousin Janelle King, 15, who was screaming, in her mouth, before forcing Keon King to kneel. He was then shot at point blank range in the head. King was listed as a State witness in a current High Court manslaughter case, but he had not yet given any evidence in the matter.

According to reports, the men entered the house and began demanding to know who was there. When their questions went unanswered, they started shooting. Other persons who were in the house hid and when the dust was cleared, and the gunmen had run off, the injured were rushed to the hospital where they were all warded. No one was available when Newsday visited the home, but residents of the area said that family members were all at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital’s Inten-sive Care Unit, monitoring the warded victims.

Police confirmed that King was listed to give evidence in a manslaughter case, but they don’t believe the killing is connected to the case since the suspect in that matter has already confessed to the shooting. “Recently, a drug-lord from Lowlands who went into hiding has resurfaced and he was constantly seen in the presence of and at the home of Keon King,” police said. “The men came in looking for somebody and when they could not find them, they executed Keon as a warning to the drug-lord and the mother and sister for possibly recognising them.” Keon King is the 84th person murdered for the year.

Almost nine hours later, McKenzie Odai, a shift operator at Ghany’s Service Station on Eastern Main Road, Curepe, was shot dead by a bandit at his workplace. That was murder number 85. Autopsies are to be performed today on arson victims Ena Dolam, 52, and her daughter Patrina Dolam, 14, who were found dead in the burnt-out bedroom of their Aranjuez home on Sunday, to confirm if the murder tally is 87 victims for the year. Odai and King are also due for post-mortems today.