Shot man fights for life

A LAVENTILLE man remains warded in critical condition at hospital after being shot multiple times while standing in his parlour at Dan Kelly, Picton Hill, Laventille yesterday.

Up to late yesterday evening, shooting victim Damien Bernard, 29, remained warded in critical condition under police guard at Port-of-Spain General Hos-pital. While no motive for the shooting has been established, investigators are working along the line that Bernard may have been marked for death since he was a witness to a murder which occurred last year. According to police reports, around 12.30 pm Bernard was standing in his parlour, which is located at the front of his home, when a man entered under the pretence of being a customer. Without warning, the intruder pulled a pistol from his waist and opened fire, shooting Bernard multiple times in the stomach, before running away.

Bernard’s distraught sister Jemma told Newsday she was speaking with her mother at the back of the parlour when she heard someone shouting and then loud explosions. The badly bleeding man was placed in a car and taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and was subsequently warded. A report was made to Port-of-Spain CID and a team of officers led by Sgt Stewart and including Ag Sgt Thomas, PCs Edgar Ransome, Browne and Charles visited the scene. The officers later carried out a futile search of the area for the gunman, who up to late yesterday rem-ained at large. Bernard’s relatives told Newsday that following a shooting incident last year, in which his father was murdered, the family had asked for police protection, but got none. Investigations are continuing.