Teenaged welder shot dead

GIDEON GEORGE, a 17-year-old welder, became the country’s 144th murder victim for the year when he was shot dead while visiting friends at Rosewood Avenue, Upper Coconut Drive, Morvant. Reports revealed that around 11.30 am yesterday, George, of Laventille Road, Laventille, was at the home of friends when a single gunshot was heard. Eyewitnesses told police investigators that they saw George clutch his chest and run into a dirt track where he collapsed and died. Officers of the North Eastern Division were alerted and a party of officers, led by Ag Supt Wayne Gilbert, went to the scene along with District Medical Officer Dr Boochay. They later cordoned off the area leading to the dirt track. David George, the father of the dead teenager, told Newsday that his son recently started working as a welder at a shop at Sunshine Avenue, San Juan. He described him as a quiet person who never troubled anyone.

The grieving man explained that his son often visited friends at a house at Coconut Drive. Another eyewitness claimed that George and a 15-year-old schoolboy were playing with a gun when it accidently went off and George was shot once in the stomach. The schoolboy was taken into police custody and quizzed for several hours. Investigators say they intend to solve the shooting death. At the scene of the incident, friends of the dead man said that he was not involved in any gang and was not involved in any illicit activities. Investigations are continuing.