Trinidad: Two people die after shooting outside bar

Ria John

(Trinidad Express) Two people, one of them a woman, are dead following a shooting outside a bar in El Socorro during the early hours of yesterday morning.

A police officer was also injured in the fracas and remained at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, after he was beaten by a mob when he sought to bring calm to an escalating situation before shots were fired at Tigers Bar on El Socorro Road.

It was not immediately clear yesterday who fired the shots.

Killed were Ria John of San Juan and 25-year-old Kayode Edwards.

Investigators said they would have to view video footage of the incident captured on nearby CCTV cameras to determine whether it was the officer, who was off-duty at the time, or a member of the crowd who fired the shots.

That incident took place around 5.30 a.m. outside the bar. Reports stated that during the fracas, the police sergeant intervened in a brawl but the mob turned on him and began beating him.

As the officer fell to the ground, some members of the group continued kicking him in the chest and head.

Another group of individuals attempted to come to his assistance but as they were about to do so, shots rang out, said police.

Members of the crowd began running for safety but as calm was restored, it was discovered that Edwards and John had been shot.

Edwards ran a short distance away and died on the steps of a nearby bakery.

John and the police sergeant were taken to hospital for treatment.

However, sometime around mid-day, John died while receiving treatment.

Officers of the Region I Homicide Bureau of Investigations are continuing enquiries.