(Trinidad Express) Two more men were murdered in the John John, East Port of Spain area on Sunday night, bringing to four the number of people killed in that area over the weekend, with a total of nine individuals being murdered throughout the country in the space of 48 hours.
The latest murder victims have been identified by police as 55-year-old Errol “Shine” John of Beverly Hills, and Robert Farrell, 46, a welder of Clifton Hill.
Their killings have now pushed the murder toll for the year to 294 according to an Express tally.
Investigators said they did not know either men to be involved in any criminal activities, but believed they were targeted because they had relatives who were gang members.
With the two latest killings, police said there was now an increase in patrols in John John as there could “quite possibly” be more reprisal killings in the area in the coming days.
Police said at around 8.25 p.m. on Sunday, John, along with his wife, had just got out a taxi and were walking towards their Building 10, Beverly Hills apartment when a lone gunman walked up to them and shot John several times about the body before calmly walking off.
Officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), who were the first to arrive on the scene, rushed the injured man to Port of Spain General Hospital, where he died while undergoing surgery.
Just 20 minutes after he was shot, and while officers were processing the crime scene, another volley of shots was heard in the distance.
Officers went to Clifton Hill where Farrell’s wife pointed out her husband’s dead body, which was lying in the yard of his home.
Investigators said Farrell was at home with his wife when he informed her he was going to use the outside washroom.
Upon leaving the house the woman heard several loud explosions before venturing outside to find her husband’s bullet-riddled body.
