(Trinidad Express) As the year draws to a close, two men were gunned down in El Socorro on Sunday night in what police have described as a drug-related incident.
The men are Anthony Bridgelal, alias “Ambulance,” of Bamboo Settlement Number 3, and Kazim Ali, 45, of Maraj Trace, El Socorro, who was known to his friends and relatives as “Cow”. The murder toll for 2013 up to last night was 405, compared with 379 for the same period in 2012 . Police said around 10.40 p.m., the duo and some other friends were liming in the car park of Ali’s Roti Shop located off Backchain Street, El Socorro, following a children’s party in the area. While there a silver-coloured car stopped at the entrance of the car park. One man emerged and opened fire on the four limers, hitting them all. All four men were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in the tray of a van, police said. Bridgelal was pronounced dead on arrival. Ali was rushed into surgery but he was pronounced dead while on the operating table. The other two men — Bhudath Ramlogan, who was shot in his chest, and Rakesh Ramoutar, who was shot in both legs — were listed as stable up to last night at hospital.
Bridgelal’s relatives did not speak to reporters while at the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday. Ali’s relatives, however, denied the police’s statement that the attack on the four men on Sunday night had anything to do with narcotics. They described Ali as a fun-loving man who loved to lime. They said Ali met Bridgelal about a year ago at the Caura River following which both men along with the two other shot men became quite close. So close in fact they formed a group called the “Caura Lime Crew.” They also described Ali as one of the most generous people they knew, adding he would give his last dollar to a friend or relative in need. Ali had survived a shooting a few months ago during an attempted robbery. Homicide Bureau officers are continuing investigations.
