Two shot dead in Belmont

Two men were gunned down mere hours apart from each other at Gonzales and Belmont between Thursday night and early yesterday morning. The two murders pushed the murder toll to 116 persons for the year. Police investigators have linked the two murders to gang-related violence. The first murder occurred at around 9 pm, when Keon St Bernard was watching television at his mother’s Gonzalez home. His mother, Ivy, told Newsday that her son, who lived in Maraval, came to her home on Thursday and told her that he was spending the night. She added that both Keon and another relative were sitting in the living room watching television when two masked men armed with guns stormed into the room. St Bernard started struggling with one of the men, but as Ivy looked on in horror, the gunman pumped about 11 bullets into her son, killing him instantly. The killer and his accomplice then fled the scene.

Officers of the Belmont Police Station as well as a District Medical Officer went to the scene and ordered the body’s removal to the Forensic Science Centre. Relatives of St Bernard yesterday described Keon as a quiet person who never troubled anyone. They claimed that his girlfriend is eight months pregnant, and is expecting their first child. An autopsy carried out yesterday revealed that St Bernard died from shock and haemorrhage consistent with gunshot injuries. Police investigators told Newsday that St Bernard was heavily involved in gang-related criminal activities. They believe that he was hiding at his mother’s home when he was executed. Almost six hours later, at Chinatown in Belmont, Anthony Haynes of Champs Fleurs was visiting a friend when he was confronted by two gunmen. The 21-year-old man was shot several times and slumped to the ground where he died. Officers of the Belmont Police Station went to the scene and carried out a search for the killers to no avail. They have linked the two deaths and believe the killings were gang-related  revenge killings. Investigations are continuing.