There were nine people killed between Friday afternoon and yesterday morning, taking the murder toll to 178 for the year. However, of that nine, seven took place in the Central Division.
In a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Snr Supt Jayson Forde, head of the Central Division, said all is being done to bring safety and security in the division.
Forde said of the seven killings since Friday, one can be “cautiously” regarded as gang-related. That murder is the Friday night slaying of Ryan “Daewoo” Hercules, 39, a security guard of John John, Laventille, who was shot and killed at Crown Trace, Enterprise. Hercules was the son of Mark Guerra, a former gang leader who was killed in 2003.
Forde added: “It is unfortunate when any human being loses his life, especially in the manner that they lost theirs. We are collaborating with all agencies to go after all lawbreakers. We are thankful for the support of the public who have been giving helpful information.”
Forde added that on Friday morning three men, all of whom they want to question closely about criminal activity in the Central Division, were arrested.
According to police, between Saturday and yesterday there were four murders in the division, including that of 26-year-old mother Patrice Fletcher-Thomas. The murders included a 59-year-old drug addict, a taxi-driver and PH taxi-driver.
According to police reports, around 8 pm Saturday, Dirk Ramkissoon of Chin Chin Road, Cunupia, was standing at the front of his home with a friend when a man, wearing black jersey, black pants and black mask, came up from behind and shot him in the head. Police said Ramkissoon ran a short distance before he collapsed and died. Police believe that there could be a drug connection to his killing.
About four hours earlier, constables Sampson and Jaikaran responded to a report of a man found, slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle at Mt Moriah Road, Welcome Road, Cunupia. Police said when they arrived they found Dhanraj Rajpaul, 54, in his red Mitsubishi Lancer at the side of the road. Police said the vehicle was found with the engine running and several spent shells in the back seat of the vehicle.
In the final killing, police arrested a neighbour of Gowrie Sankar-Choon, who was found bludgeoned to death at his Persad Avenue, Mon Plasir, Cunupia, home around 6 am yesterday.
Police said the suspect was held at his home, adjacent to the victim’s, sleeping. A jacket, said to be worn by the killer, was seized. Police said Sankar-Choon, 59, was a known drug addict and are unsure about why he was killed.
Homicide Region Three and officers of the Central Division are continuing investigations into the killings.