Pigeon racer shot dead in St James

A ST JAMES pigeon racer died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital yesterday after being shot for speaking to a girl. Dead is Raydon Hall Nelson, 28, who was shot three times around 11.45 pm on Saturday night outside a party at Bournes Road, St James. He died two hours later at the PoSGH. According to reports, Nelson was  sitting on a piece of concrete opposite a party on Bournes Road, St James speaking to a girl, 19, when another man with whom she had a previous relationship walked up, started quarrelling about the perceived relationship and threatened to shoot him if he continued. Nelson explained he had no relationship with the girl but was simply helping her since she was in need. The man left and returned a short while later, walked up to Raydon where he was sitting and shot him in his head, chest and back as party goers and spectators scampered for safety.

His father, Aaron Hall, who was walking a short distance away ran to find his son lying on the ground. Hall flagged down a car and rushed his son to the hospital where he later died. When Newsday visited the Upper Bournes Road home where Nelson lived, his father described the killing as callous and cold and outwardly asked “when will it stop.” “The crime rate is getting too high, it is getting out of hand, something must be done. “When I heard about the quarrel earlier I went to ask Raydon to leave because I know he is a quiet fella who was just helping out the girl and I knew what some of the boys from the area give. “I was walking back home when I heard the shots.

To my horror when I ran back I saw his body lying on the ground with blood all around him. “I stopped a car and rushed him to hospital where he died.” Nelson, the ninth of 12 children, was a skilled labourer. When Newsday spoke to his mother Rita Antoine, who is separated from his father, in a very cool manner she said “he was a human being and should not have been killed for speaking to a girl.” “The girl was not even his girlfriend, his love was his pigeons, which he raced regularly in Venezuela, and fishing. He had no enemies and was not a fighter.” Afesha Antoine, sister of the dead man, supported her mother’s view. St James Police are continuing enquiries.