KILLING SPREE

In one incident, three men, believed to be involved in illegal drug activity were killed in a brazen, drive-by shooting in D’Abadie.

The men have been identified as Frank Joseph, his son, Kevin Plaza, 20, and Ricardo Singh, 38.

A fourth man, Roger Plaza, said to be Kevin’s uncle, is in a critical condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, while a woman, Debisette Noray, who was hanging out clothes on a line at the time of the attack, was shot in her leg by a stray bullet and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

The area was quickly cordoned off by homicide officers and a District Medical Officer was called to the scene.

According to reports, the men were at John Lane, in D’Abadie around 3.30 pm, when the driver of a unregistered, gray wagon drove into the street and pulled up alongside the group.

Police said two men armed with automatic weapons exited the vehicle and opened fire on the group.

The men, police said, tried to run away but were pursued by the gunmen and killed. Neighbours reported hearing as many as 50 gunshots.

Investigators are hoping to secure surveillance footage from a nearby house to identify the perpetrators of the triple murders.

CTV News reported that the grisly incident hampered a wedding in the area. The report said guests were only allowed to enter the area for the reception last evening after investigators completed their search for evidence at the crime scene.

In the second incident, yesterday, a 20-year-old Mt Lambert man was shot dead while liming with friends outside Williams Bar shortly after 2 am.

Reports are that Zachory Roberts was liming outside of the bar with friends even though the establishment was closed.

Police reports revealed the driver of a vehicle pulled up and fired shots in the direction where Roberts was standing.

He was shot but later died while undergoing treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

Homicide officers, who visited the scene, are continuing investigations.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Snr Supt of the Northern Division, Mc Donald Jacob, who visited the D’Abadie crime scene, told Sunday Newsday he believed the killings may be linked to illegal drug activity.

Jacob, who was accompanied by Supt Sankar and Insps Birch and Gyan, said the police had set up a network in an attempt to retrieve the vehicle.

“This is totally ridiculous,” a visibly upset Jacob told Sunday Newsday.

“The TT Police Service will not continue tolerating these murders with impunity. Our intention is to take a more proactive approach to our policing.” He said the police will do what is necessary to stop the killings in Arima and surrounding districts.

Acknowledging that the murders will create some inconvenience and unease in the society, Jacob urged citizens to be tolerant as they take proactive steps necessary to stamp out the criminal element.

The murders came almost 48 hours after Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, back from a three-month vacation leave, announced to his nine divisional commanders last week that he was not pleased with the high incidence of murders.

Williams also had announced that he was going to be on the ground with his officers as the Police Service tackled head on the spate of homicides.

During his address at the People’s National Movement’s 46th Convention at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain, last Sunday, the Prime Minister said he proposed to take a direct interest in overseeing a comprehensive review of the way in which community policing functions are introduced within the Police Service, Rowley, who is also the head of the country’s National Security Council, also announced the launch off a Nationwide Crime Prevention Education and Mobilisation Programme to involve all sectors of the population in the fight against crime in TT.