Murders, shootings, stabbings mar Jouvert

Shortly after Khada Predie, 28, of Enterprise Village, Chaguanas, was standing at Busy Corner when he was shot once in the head by a man with long matted hair. Predie was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre, where he too, died.

In the melee, four-year-old Antonio Mohammed of Bholai Trace, Chaguanas, who was viewing Jouvert celebrations with his parents was struck by the bullet which entered Predie’s head. The bullet exited the front of his head and struck Mohammed in the left leg.

Mohammed, of Chase Village, Chaguanas was treated at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex and kept for observation.

The two murders prompted immediate action from the Mayor of Chaguanas Suruj Rambachan, who ordered that the Jouvert celebrations be stopped.

This resulted in an angry response from revellers.

At Marabella, Okera Bobb, 25, was liming at Coffee Street, San Fernando, when he bounced a man whose bottle of whiskey fell to the ground.

Bobb was stabbed once in the chest with a fish bone and was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital and was in a critical condition. The fish bone pierced his heart.

Then at about 10.45 am, Baldath Samaroo had an argument with a man and was chopped in the head. He was rushed to hospital and warded.

In the East, Julien Caleb, 30, was at Pro Queen Street, Arima at about 5 am, enjoying himself in a Jouvert band when he felt a burning sensation on the left side of the hip.

He was taken to the Arima Hospital, where he discovered that he had been shot. Shortly after, a 23-year-old man was held at Pro Queen Street with a home made sawed-off shotgun and a loaded cartridge. Police officers carrying out exercises in Arima arrested 60 persons for various offences.

In Port-of-Spain Malcolm Baptiste, of St Francois Valley Road, Belmont was sitting in his car at about 7.30 pm on Sunday when gunshots were fired at his car. Baptiste escaped unhurt. At about 8 am yesterday, David Marthews, 25, of Upper Pashley Street, Laventille, was at Saddle Road, Maraval, when he had an argument with a group of men, one of whom shot him in the right shoulder.

He was hospitalised and is warded in stable condition.

A police constable, PC De Freitas was standing at Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain at about 7.45 am, when he was confronted by three men who robbed him of a gold ring.

At the Casualty Department of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital more than 20 persons were treated for stab wounds and injuries to the head. Several of the wounded were transported to the hospital in the trays of police and army vehicles.