Two shot dead in Freeport

Dead are Gopaul Gopeechan, 55, and Ren Ramnarine, both of Ramkalia Trace, Calcutta No 2. Ramnarine who held dual citizenship with the US, had returned to Trinidad last month to spend the Christmas with his father, Prakash and step mother, Amardaye Deonarine.

Ramnarine, along with his brother, Shastri, 21, were due to return to the US on January 22. Gopeechan, a market vendor in Chaguanas, lived alone and worked in Prakash’s vegetable garden.

Prakash said that he believed that his son and Gopeechan were mistaken for two people who had robbed a nearby shop one month ago. He said a threat was sent "to me and my son saying that we were the ones who had rob them. They even threatened that they would pay $50,000 to have us killed for that."

However, Prakash swore that they had nothing to do with the robbery. "Look at what happen, two innocent lives gone in a revenge killing. He said he believed it was a case of mistaken identity.

Prakash called on the police to thoroughly investigate the matter. "I want them to investigate this and have my son’s killers arrested. I want them not to leave any stone unturned. Justice must be done now, too many innocent lives going down the drain."

According to a police report, Ramnarine and Gopeechan, were in the company of Barry Taylor and Ganesh Ramdath, when at about 4 pm on Saturday, two armed men came out of some nearby bushes and announced a hold up.

The report stated that one of the men whipped out a gun and fired several shots at Gopeechan, who was resting in a hammock. Gopeechan, the report stated, was shot in the chest and killed instantly.

The other man, the report stated, proceeded to search Ramnarine, who was sitting on a wooden ledge of the shed. Ramnarine was relieved of a gold chain and reportedly shot twice in the head. He also died at the scene. Taylor and Ramdath, police said, were not hurt during the ordeal.

The men, the report stated, then turned and walked away through the garden and headed towards the north bound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway, where they escaped in a vehicle parked on the shoulder.

Prakash yesterday told Newsday he strongly believed that the killers had come for him but did not know what he looked like. "I am sure that they thought it was me lying in the hammock that is why they shot and killed Gopeechan."

He added that he was with his son and Gopeechan liming when he had returned to the house to secure it, as no one was at home at the time.

"I now come to lock up the house when I heard gunshots. I said to myself, ‘Like police running down someone and they shooting at them too."

A distraught Prakash said that when he attempted to run back to the shed he saw the two gunmen running away from the scene.

"They noticed that I was coming so they ran. Is only when I reach by the shed I see my son dead on the ground and Gopeechan dead in the hammock. I went into a state of shock. I didn’t know what to do or what to think at the time."

District Medical Officer, Dr Vishnu Jeelal visited the scene and ordered the bodies removed to the Forensic Sciences Centre in Port of Spain, for autopsies today.

A party of police officers, including Central Division’s Sen Supt Barnett Meyers, Supt Rattansingh and Insp Stephen Ramsubhag also visited the scene.

Detectives attached to the Homicide Division South are continuing investigations.