Patrols for Cunupia

On Friday evening, Christopher Nelson, 48; Renald Eli, 46; Gerald Gibson, 52; and Willard Cantaro Ravello, 23 were slain by two masked gunmen, as the four men played dominoes outside a parlour in the area.

Commissioner Paul, along with ACP Maurice Piggott, Head of the TT Police Service Homicide and ACP Dave King, Deputy Director of the Special Anti-Crime Unit of TT (SAUTT), met with the families and friends of the slain men on Friday evening. King is a retired senior officer of Scotland Yard.

On Saturday, a private meeting with the families was held at Kernaham Trace, Cunupia with the three senior officers to personally update families of the progress of the investigation and provide them with details of the specialist resources deployed in the case.

The meeting was conducted in the absence of the media as a mark of respect for the families’ privacy.

Later, the three officers discussed the case with detectives then patrolled the area on foot. Paul said, “The shooting of four men, all loved by their families and friends, is a vile and despicable crime.

I shall ensure that all of the appropriate resources will be put in place to solve this case.”

Paul declined to release details of his discussions with the bereaved families but hoped that the community would support the police in bringing the gunmen to justice.

He said criminals should not be allowed to dictate what happens in towns and villages and urged anyone with information to contact the police or call the 555 hotline.

Piggott said he was heartened by the response of the community, adding that the crime could be solved if the public placed confidence in the police and the criminal justice system.

“I can say that all information we receive will be held in the strictest of confidence,” he said.

King noted that the people of Cunupia “must use this tragic case as a starting point to come together ... and stand up against the criminal element and to support law enforcement.”

King added that SAUTT staff was working tirelessly with the homicide and specialist sections of the TTPS to bring the offenders to justice.