... but cops say killings not due to revelry

WHILE thousands of revellers took to the streets for Carnival Tuesday celebrations yesterday, police in Morvant and West End were busy investigating the murders of two men who were gunned down in unrelated incidents.

They have been identified as Clevon “Scrappy” Hamilton, 22, an NHA labourer of Pelican Extention, Morvant and Jason Tinto, 22, who worked on the CEPEP programme, and lived at Spring View Drive, Petit Valley. These murders bring to 35 the number reported for the year. For the long Carnival weekend, which ended yesterday, three murders, four road fatalities and a drowning were reported. However, police made it clear that the three murders which occurred over the long Carnival weekend, were all gang or drug related and were not the result of the revelry.

In the Morvant incident, residents of Pelican Extension reported hearing a series of loud explosions between midnight and 2 am yesterday. Around 6 am, Morvant police received an anonymous call informing them that the body of a man was seen on an empty parcel of land. Officers led by Snr Supt Desmond Lambert and including Supt Waldron Bishop, Ag ASP Phillip, Insp Dave Hilaire, Sgt David Abraham, Sgt Keith Louison, PC Sunil Ramoutar and PC Liston Taylor visited the scene and found the bloodstained body of Hamilton resting on a car seat propped under a mango tree.

The body bore several gunshots to the head and spent ammunition shells were found nearby. Hamilton’s body was found near his home on a lot of land between Pelican Extention and Mahabir Courts. Homicide Bureau officers’ ASP Nadir Khan, Cpl Radcliffe Boxhill and WPC Suzette Martin arrived a short time later along with DMO Dr Richard Holder. Resting on Hamilton’s stomach was a Marvin Gaye ski-mask, which is popularly used by bandits to hide their identity. Police sources told Newsday Hamilton was the lieutenant of a well-known bandit who also lives in Morvant. However, several residents who were at the crime scene described him as a quiet person who was active in the community and loved to play football and cricket. Shortly after Hamilton’s body was removed from the scene en route to the Port-of- Spain Mortuary, his father Owen Hamilton arrived and was taken to the Morvant Police Station. Insp Dave Hilaire is continuing investigations.

In the other murder, residents of Petit Valley heard loud explosions coming from Spring View Drive around 2 am yesterday. On checking, they saw Jason Tinto, 22, lying in the road gasping for air and bleeding from several gunshot wounds about his body. He was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Tinto was shot behind the right ear, in his left arm, stomach and feet. Visiting the scene were Snr Supt Selwyn Glasgow, Supt Nadir Mohammed, ASP Fitzroy Fredericks, Insp Narciss Cadette and Homicide Bureau officers’ Insp Lester Hutchings and Ag Cpl Forde. Police are working on reports that a car was seen speeding out of Spring View Drive, shortly after the gunshots were heard. Sgt Anthony Lezama of West End police, is continuing investigations. Autopsies are expected to be carried out today at the Forensic Sciences Centre on both bodies.

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"… but cops say killings not due to revelry"

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