Eye witnesses recap shooting

Eyewitnesses at Thursday’s shoot-out on the Brian Lara Promenade are calling for a State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago. The eyewitnesses who frequent the Brian Lara Promenade refused to give their names, saying that they are not offered protection, and did not want to be involved. One vendor told Newsday that Government should call a State of Emergency and since he witnessed the shooting of  Lystra Wright he is extremely upset.“I sell here everyday, and since that happened to that girl, I study that whole night,” he said. He said the Government was not doing its best to curb violence in the country.

Another eyewitness said the Opposition was to blame for the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago.“Panday is not signing the police bill, everybody is sitting down! When the police do something people are claiming police brutality,” he said. He said everyday he frequents the Promenade as he is retired, “I do not stay home, and this isn’t going to bother me.” He said that at the time of the shooting he was sitting on the bench opposite to where the incident ociurred. “I was right there when they walked by, as if they were going to the ‘pay yard,’ about 20 of them, and when they were walking back they shot one in his head,” he disclosed. He added that one of the suspects started to pick up the deceased.

“When the man got shot he capsized over the bench and his friend started to lift him, I just told him to leave him.” He said people were running and diving on the ground. “One of the men in the group said, “I not in dem ting’ and some women who were with them started to cry, and they ran.” He said after the incident the police ran after the men down Broadway and across to City Gate. “This come like wild wild, west. The criminals have more privileges than us, they getting legal aid free, and from taxpayers money.” The elderly gentleman continued: “I was used to that since the steelband riots, but it hurts my heart, because Trinidad is a lovely country.”