Tit-for-Tat gang slayings

According to reports, about 4 pm, Charles, 18, of Mahogany Drive, Malabar Gardens was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car which stopped at the corner of Broadway and King Street in Arima, because of heavy traffic.

At the same time, a man hiding behind a wall at a nearby kindergarten, leaned over the wall overlooking the street and fired several shots at the car, striking Charles in the process. The gunman then escaped on foot.

The driver sped off to the Arima District Hospital where Charles was pronounced dead-on-arrival. Hospital officials contacted the police who took reports from the other three occupants of the car.

When Newsday visited the dead man’s home, relatives refused to speak. Police sources disclosed that they believed the killing was a reprisal for the murder of Stephan Edwards — a reputed member of G-Unit’s hated enemy, the Gambino Gang.

Edwards was shot dead during a drive-by shooting last Friday along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway near the Trincity intersection.

Charles’ death sent the country’s murder rate to 112. Visiting the scene were Inspector Daniel, Sgt Hamilton, Cpl Wayne Winston and Cpl Carl Hosten. PC Lynch of the Homicide Bureau is continuing investigations.