Boy, 8, shot by stray bullet

Ringing in of the new year celebrations for a Petit Valley family, turned near fatal when an eight-year-old member of their household, was shot with a stray bullet which entered through his left shoulder and ended up in the left side of his ribs. The bullet remained lodged in the ribs of schoolboy Akiel Jeffrey up until late yesterday. He is warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. He was scheduled to undergo surgery late yesterday to remove the bullet.

Police officers believe that the stray bullet came from the gun of a young man, who fired several shots in the air at Cameron Road, Petit Valley, to ring in the new year. It is customary for gang members in the area to fire shots in the air to ring in the new year. Lystra Jeffrey, the mother of the injured schoolboy told Sunday Newsday that Akiel and other members of her family were enjoying themselves, eating food, snacks and other goodies, when the clock struck 12. Jeffrey said that the fireworks in the air was a bit noisy, and they were enjoying the view from their hilltop home, when she saw her son cry out and began holding on to the left side of his ribs. She said that on checking, she saw a hole in the left side of Akiel’s shoulder and another injury to his ribs. Jeffrey said that she panicked but did not realise that her son was shot.

She managed to rush her son to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was transferred to the EWMSC. Doctors carried out checks and warded the boy at the Intensive Care Unit. He was treated and moved to the surgical ward. At Petit Valley yesterday, residents of the area expressed concern over the shooting. They said that young men in the area were seen drinking Puncheon rum and behaving in a rowdy manner shortly before midnight. According to residents, the same young men are always in possession of guns and this was reported to the police who never responded. They feel that the situation could have been avoided. Yesterday, a team of police officers led by Insp Lezama went to the scene of the shooting and carried out a search of the area. Senior police officers issued a stern warning yesterday to members of the public to desist from firing bullets from illegal guns into the air. They added that in the new year, they intend to carry out a series of raids to rid the country of illegal guns.