Two killed in Cocorite attack

THE murder toll in Trinidad and Tobago continues to rise unabated. Latest victims are Kevin Farrell, 19, of Cocorite Terrace; Dennison Campbell, 18, of Upper Harding Place, Cocorite and Rasheed Ali, 33, of Bon Air West, Arouca. All died of bullet wounds. According to reports, around 1.30 am yesterday Farrell and Campbell were asleep at a house on Freedom Street, Cocorite, when two gunmen burst into the house and shot Farrell who was asleep on a chair. Alerted by the noise, Campbell shoved his girlfriend and two children under the bed, grabbed Farrell’s gun, which was on the floor and opened fire.

The invading gunmen returned fire hitting Campbell several times. Campbell ran to a nearby bathroom where he collapsed. He received nine shots to the body, while Farrell received five. Campbell’s father Anthony Campbell told newsday that he believed the killing was a reprisal for his son’s search for the men who broke into their home, robbed their family and raped a relative. “In September last year five bandits broke into our home, tied us up, robbed us and raped a relative. Dennison found the police were taking too long to find the culprits, so he said he would fix it,” he added. When contacted police sources told Newsday they were working on three theories in relation to the murder. The first was the one put forward by the father. 

The second is a gang war between Waterhole and Cocorite, and the third a reprisal for the murder of Jonathan Pierre three weeks ago, who was killed in Cocorite. The case involving Rasheed Ali, who was shot in his back and chest on January 24 while walking along Thomas Trace, Arouca, has been changed from one of attempted murder to murder. Ali, 33, a maxi-taxi driver succumbed to his injuries at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital without regaining consciousness. In an unrelated matter, police are still trying to classify the death of drug-addict Kenneth Seeram, 33. Seeram, of Belle smythe Street in Curepe, was found north of the Caroni Flyover shortly after 1 am yesterday. His face was partly crushed and he was dressed only in a pair of pants and a torn shirt. The murder toll for 2005 now stands at 68 in 74 days. There were 52 murders for the same period last year.