A 23-year-old car wash owner was killed on Saturday night and his girlfriend shot in the abdomen because they were in a “strange car” in a not too friendly neighbourhood, according to police and relatives.
Speaking with the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James yesterday, relatives of Terry Alleyne said the last of five children was not involved in anything illegal. Police also confirmed that they had nothing on Alleyne.
Police said Alleyne, of Julien Terrace, Majuba Cross Road, Petit Valley, was at Cameron Hill, Petit Valley, around 10.30 pm when a yellow band maxi pulled in the path of the Nissan B14 he was in and opened fire.
He was shot four times and his girlfriend Shinelle Piango, was shot once. Both were taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where Alleyne died while being treated. Piango is warded in a stable condition, police said.
Relatives said Alleyene went to the area to drop off two children who attended a birthday party and because of a shooting in the area recently involving police and they believed the unprovoked attack was as a result of men in the area wary of being targets. Police said they suspected that Alleyne was targeted because he was not from the area.
Cameron Hill, police said, is a known crime hot spot area in the Western Division.
The relatives said Alleyene was well liked by all and loved children but did not have any of his own.
His killing is recorded by the Homicide Bureau as murder 271, for the same period last year there were 256 murders.