Baby shot in gang war

AN 18-month-old baby girl was one of three people shot late yesterday as the Laventille gang war continued in the Beverly Hills, Picton, area.

The toddler, Shanice Callendar, along with family members, Arlene Callendar, 36, and her common-law-husband Garvin “Pussy” Jones, 24, were warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital last night. Shanice was shot on the right hand, Arlene on the foot, while Jones is said to be in a critical condition after being shot in the chest area. The baby’s cousin Tessa Callendar told Newsday that it was just before 6pm that five men approached the two-storey house at Silk Cotton Alley, and began firing shots at the downstairs portion.

Tessa, 16, said she, together with Arlene, her mother,  and Jones, her stepfather, were all downstairs and that as the shots rang out, Jones came behind her and was shot in the chest region. After, she said, the men went upstairs and opened fire, striking baby Shanice on the hand.  The child, who Tessa said stays there because her parents work in Tobago, was in the gallery of the house. The assailants then entered the house but said nothing as to why they were shooting up the place, a visibly-shaken Tessa told Newsday.  “I have no idea why anyone would want to do this,” she said.

However, a 10-year-old girl said that the shooting is as a result of a gangwar between people from Despers and Beverly Hills.  The child said that the five men, one of whom had a 9mm, came from a track down Beverly Hills. “I just heard shots and I ran by a friend and hid in a toilet,” the girl said.  She added that when the smoke was cleared and she came out of hiding, she saw Garvin in a canal.  She said she heard about four shots. A report was later made and a party of officers from the Besson Street Criminal Investigations Department (CID) under Insp Manechand Ramnarine and other members of the Port-of-Spain Divisional Task Force visited the scene and conducted investigations. Police took the three wounded to the hospital. Investigations are continuing.