One dead, two wounded

A 24-year-old man was shot dead following an agrument with another man at Leadership Pub in Curepe early yesterday. The murder of Marclin Rocke is the 51st for the year so far. Police reports said that around 4 am yesterday, Rocke, of Cassim Lane, Tunapuna, was at the pub when he had a heated argument with a man whom police said he knew. The man, police said, then made a phone call from a cell phone and left the pub. As Rocke was leaving the pub, a gunman, armed with a 9 mm gun, got out of a  white car and began firing at Rocke, police said.

He was shot twice and slumped to the ground. Reports revealed that Rocke was rushed to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Elroy Yalerie, 19, and Leandro Blackman, 21, innocent bystanders, who were outside Royal Castle fast food outlet suffered gunshot injuries. They were also treated at the EWMSC. A party of officers went to the scene and carried out investigations. Two suspects were detained yesterday and were being quizzed at the St Joseph CID.

Spent shells of a 9 mm gun were also recovered. Police investigators described the killing as gang-related. Officers under Sgt Worrel, and assisted by homicide officers Cpls Thalia Francis and Wendell Lucas of the Homicide Bureau are continuing investigations. When Newsday visited the home of Rocke, a relative described him as a good person. He added that Rocke was unemployed but not involved in any illicit activities.