While party-goers were bringing in the new year with revelry, yesterday, a six-year-old boy and a 68-year-old woman were shot dead by gunmen at Phase One in Beetham Estate, Beetham.
The year opened with the deaths of Jodal Ramnath, a student at Eastern Boys Primary School, and pensioner and mother of two, Alvina Warner.
Both of them died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Residents claimed it was because of the ongoing war between Muslims and Rastacity over control of the community.
They said they had to run for cover as gunmen lined up across the road at Prizgar Lands and on the roof of a nearby school shooting at them with high-powered rifles.
They claimed the gunmen opened fire on the residents around 12.10 am when the fireworks were going off.
When the Guardian visited the family home at Third Street, Jodal’s mother, Kedesha Ramnath, who was surrounded by relatives, was overcome with grief.
Kedesha said her son had begged warring factions to stop the war.
“They need to stop this stupid war. People want to live in peace. Stop it. My only child, my six-year-old,” she said.
She said he was an aspiring veterinarian and was infatuated with dogs.
“Everything is dog, he loves dogs.”
One of his aunts said Jodal was outside with his aunt bringing in the new year at Fifth Street when he complained that he felt a stinging in his foot.
A relative said: “She then lifted him up and saw the hole in his back.”
He was taken to the hospital where he died while undergoing surgery.
Warner’s daughter, Fernella, said her mother suffered two heart attacks while being treated at the hospital.
“Everybody was outside watching the fireworks. We saw people running and we started to walk. The next thing I know I say ‘is that my mother who get shoot?’” she asked.
Fernella said she attempted to save her mother by putting a jersey around the wound. “There was blood coming from her neck and I took a jersey and wrap it around her neck. She fell foward and I saw she had a hole in her mouth and her teeth done fall out. I ask the neighbour to take us to the hospital and we called an ambulance. I saw how to do that on documentaries and movies,” she said.
She said around 6 am she was told her mother was “doing fine” and then she suffered a heart attack.
However, around 9.35 am, her mother was dead.
Fernella said she celebrated her birthday the same day her mother did on March 21.
“If you see her you would fall in love with her. She was loved by all,” she said.
Residents said that Warner and Ramnath were innocent by-standers.
“All of them go dead. Beetham can’t go across there. When last you hear Beetham in anything said it was an act. Them want to control here. Is like if they see this house they want it. If they see this they want it,” one resident said.
He said this was not the actions of members of the Muslim society.
“Is two innocent people they kill. Is Muslims but that is not the act of Muslims. Muslims don’t act like that,” he said.
He said members of the Beetham community were not going to stand for the ongoing war.
The residents said the police who were usually on duty were not there.
They also said the security guards at the school have to give an account as to why gunmen were permitted at the school.
Homicide officers are continuing investigations.