MURDER IN TRAFFIC

As gunshots rang out, frightened shoppers ran into shops in and around Queen Street. Inside the car, Sean Thomas, 33, sat slumped in the driver’s seat — his body kept upright only by his seatbelt.

Once police arrived and cordoned off the murder scene, it was shopping as usual as many resumed their task of searching for that ideal Christmas gift for their loved ones. While officers were trying to ascertain a motive for the killing, they believe it may have been gang-related.

Thomas hailed from Francis Street, San Juan.

Police reported that at about ten o’clock yesterday morning, Thomas was driving a silver-coloured Toyota Axio in a westerly direction along Queen Street. As he was approaching Duncan Street, two unknown gunmen approached the vehicle, drew their firearms and shot Thomas multiple times. As the gunmen fled, an off-duty policeman who heard the gunshots gave chase but lost the men who disappeared in thick crowds of shoppers.

A party of officers from Besson Street Police Station, the Inter-Agency Task Force, Port-of-Spain CID and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations visited the scene. A policeman had to use a baton to smash the back window of the car in order to open the doors to reach Thomas’ body. Curious onlookers crowded the corner of Queen and Duncan streets as they tried to get a glimpse of the commotion at the murder scene.

Relatives of the man were also at the scene of the crime, but were too distraught to speak to members of the media.

The relatives could have been seen weeping and holding each other as they stood among the onlookers, watching police officers process the crime scene. Although they were too emotional to speak, close friends of the deceased, who were also at the scene yesterday told reporters that the only Christmas plans he told them of, was that he was hoping to spend the holidays with his children.

Police sources said that when officers searched Thomas’ vehicle, they found four ammunition magazines but no firearm.

In an earlier incident, a 27-year-old man was shot dead a stone’s throw away from the Morvant Police Station.

According to reports, Akeem Jordan of Flamingo Street, Morvant, was liming with friends on the corner of Tapana and Kisskidee Street when at about 8.30 pm on Thursday, when a Nissan Almera pulled up in front of Jordan. Without warning four armed men alighted the vehicle, approached Jordan and shot him multiple times about the body.

The gunmen then drove off. Jordan was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The murder toll up to press time, stood at 450 with seven days left in the year.