T&T has lost two potential “bright stars” with the slaying of Laventille teens Deneilson Smith and Mark Richards who were well-adjusted young men, acting Education Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said yesterday.
Deyalsingh spoke about the slain youths during his contribution to an opposition motion on educational materials in Parliament, yesterday.
Smith and Richards were murdered after they were pulled out of a taxi on their way home from school on Thursday afternoon and shot dead.
It has prompted action from Prime Minister Keith Rowley who announced yesterday that soldiers would be deployed to patrol the hills of Laventille permanently. Two men described as being of interest in the case have also been held by police.
The murders of the teens also featured in remarks by MPs from both the Government and Opposition, in and out of Parliament, yesterday.
Deyalsingh said he wanted to correct a previous statement issued by the Ministry of Education which stated that one of the boys had missed school. He said he had checked with the Chief Education Officer and the ministry’s permanent secretary and confirmed that both teens had attended school that day and had been model students.
He noted one had been captain of the school’s cricket team and the other was a school prefect.
“Excellent people...we have lost two potential bright stars,” Deyalsingh said.
Deyalsingh said a high-level government team including the minister of Social Development, from the Office of the Prime Minister and MPs for the areas in which the boys lived would be visiting their school and parents and giving the community their full support.
“We’ve arranged counselling and this Government remains committed as it has always been to the community,” he added.
National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, expressing deep condolences to the families and community, condemned the murders. He told T&T Guardian the authorities would not stop until they had brought the perpetrators to justice.
Housing Minister and Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald told reporters she was sure the area MP would be taking care of the youths’ funerals. She said she normally does that for her constituency and MPs usually take “up the slack” on this and a Social Development grant was also available.
She added, “I will be visiting the families tomorrow. This shows our concern and our support to let them know there are people who care about them. This situation is very sad. lt’s cause for concern. It happened in an area that borders two constituencies—Laventille West and Port-of-Spain South—though I understand the boys both live in Sogren Trace which is Laventille West.”