‘If he had only listened to me’

PROBABLY, if Marvin Romero had listened to the advice of his mother Judy Salina he would have been alive today. “Ever since the war started between the gangs in John John and  Pump Trace and the people from both areas were threatened to be killed  if they were ever caught in one another’s turf, we had warned Marvin about going up the hill. But he had his own way, he would not listen. “He had stopped going for a while but went back to drop his daughter who came to spend some time with him and was returning when he was shot. An innocent murder.

“His father and I had even fixed a room for him at our Maloney Gardens home but he preferred to live at John John. He was not afraid. “Marvin was no gangster nor into any gang, all he loved was his gambling and family. He did not care about any gang and believed once he did not associate with them everything was alright. “What is even harder, I lost my 29-year-old son eight months ago to cancer, now I have come and lose my other son to a gangster bullet. These killings must stop. “I want the killers of my son found and dealt with. They must pay. “The police say the people know who the killers are but are afraid to talk. I am begging anyone with information to please come forward,” pleaded the traumatised mother.

The warfare started following the killing of three gang members at Pump Trace last year, for which gang members from John John were blamed. Since then the Pump Trace gang has threatened to kill anyone from John John they see in their area. The John John gang also sent a similar threat. Romero, an avid all-fours player was shot four times in his chest and head on Friday night around 7 pm while talking to someone at Pump Trace. He ran a short distance where he collapsed in the arms of his cousin. She rushed him to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he died while on the operating table. When contacted, police sources confirmed Romero was an innocent by-stander caught in the middle of gang warfare. Visiting the scene were Inspector Sahadeo Singh, Sgt Franklin and others. Sgt Franklin is continuing inquiries.