Gunmen blow away mason’s face

A 22-year-old mason became the country’s 64th murder victim for 2003, when gunmen stormed his Red Hill, Morvant, home early yesterday and fired two shots at point blank range resulting in his face being blown away.

During the same period last year 42 persons were murdered. Sherwin Chance, alias “Crow” ,attempted to escape the killers but they held on to him and said, “Sherwin we come for you.” The gunmen then fired two shots at point blank range, killing Chance immediately. Reports reveal that around 3 am yesterday, Chance was asleep in a house in company with a 20-year-old woman, when five men armed with guns broke down a door leading to the bedroom. They began firing at Chance who ran into another bedroom where he was cornered by the five killers.

One of the gunmen fired two shots which blew off Chance’s face, while another gunman fired a second shot to Chance’s head to ensure he was dead. The woman who witnessed the brutal killing was not harmed, and was up until yesterday in protective custody. Snr Supt Desmond Lambert, Supt Waldron Bishop, Inspectors Hillaire, Hutchins, Cpl Ramjit and WPC Martin along with District Medical Officer Dr Althea Holder went to the scene.

The body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre. Police investigators believe that the killing was gang related and linked to the recent shootings of two close associates of Chance, at Red Hill, Morvant, between last Monday night and Tuesday. In the first shooting, around 10.30 pm on Monday, Jerome Hamilton was liming with friends in front his Red Hill Extension home when a car with three occupants opened fire at the limers. Hamilton was struck in the right ear. A number of spent shells were recovered from the scene.

In the second shooting, around 8.15 pm on Tuesday, Otis Wilson, 23, of Red Hill, was standing on the side of the road near his home when a man walked out of some bushes and opened fire. Wilson was struck in the left foot. He was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was treated and warded. At Red Hill, Morvant, yesterday residents expressed outrage over the shootings and brutal murder.  Susan Chance, the sister of the dead man said that she had advised her brother to change the locks in his house following the two shootings but he told her that he was not afraid since he was not involved in any activities to cause his death.