(Trinidad Express) – Between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, the lives of four men were brought to a violent and bloody end, sending the year’s murder toll to 247.

Police are now bracing themselves for a series of reprisal killings, since some of the deaths were gang-related.

The first two victims, friends Hakim Seales and Kirk Perryman, were killed together at lower Pashley Street, Laventille, just after 10 pm on Wednesday.

According to police, Seales, 20, of upper Pashley Street, and Perryman, 30, of El Dorado Road, Tunapuna, were liming with friends along lower Pashley Street.

Around 10.15 pm, residents reported hearing several gunshots. Some called the police but none of them dared to venture out. When officers from the Besson Street Police Station arrived, they found both men with several gunshot wounds about their bodies.

And around 1.50 pm on Thursday, David Neptune, 28, was near the corner of Independence Square and Duncan Street, Port of Spain, when a man walked up to him, fired several shots, then ran off.

Police officers on mobile patrol were passing nearby and took the bleeding man to hospital. He died before they got him there. The killer made a clean escape.

As officers were investigating the Duncan Street incident, they were again called into service for yet another murder, this time at Upper Espinet Street, Laventille, around 3.30 pm.

The victim was identified as Gary Ollivierre, 33, of upper Espinet Street.

Police said two men walked up to Ollivierre and fired several shots, killing him on the spot. The killers then fled.