Students escape

One parent however was shot in the right foot while a man standing on the roadside awaiting transportation was shot in the buttocks.

Both were treated at Port-of- Spain General Hospital.

The students and some of their parents along with their coach were being taken to their homes after football practice, when on reaching Prince Street, gunshots were heard.

Parent Roliste Thompson, 43, was shot in the right foot, while Anthony Joseph, 29, who was standing on the side of the road was shot in the buttocks.

Police recovered a quantity of spent shells from the area but no one was arrested. Yesterday, Thompson who is a supervisor with the HDC was thanking God that no child was shot and that he was only hit in his foot.

He said a bloodbath was on the cards when bullets struck the maxi taxi.

In the vehicle was Thompson’s son Shibani Thompson, a student of Richmond Street Boys’ RC School.

Thompson said that as shots were fired, he and the football coach shouted at the children to “lie low on the seats”.

He said the children began screaming in terror as the windscreen was shattered by the bullets.

When he felt a sting and then a burning sensation, Thompson realised he was shot in his foot.

“I began to pray that none of the children were shot,” he said.

Thompson said the bullet remains lodged in his right foot and he may have to seek private treatment.

His son did not attend school yesterday, as he was still shaken by the incident.