(Trinidad Guardian) A mother of five was killed and her friend wounded following a shooting in Mausica on Sunday night.
According to reports, the shooting took place around 7 pm, as 38-year-old Linda Dalipsingh, of Crescent Drive, Mausica Road, D’Abadie, was sitting in her front gallery with her 27-year-old friend from Waterhole, Cocorite.
A man reportedly walked in front of Dalipsingh’s home, drew a gun and began shooting in their direction.
Dalipsingh and her friend attempted to run into the house but were shot before they could make it inside. The gunman then quickly ran away in the direction he came.
Dalipsingh’s 11-month-old child and the child’s father were inside the house at the time of the shooting, but escaped unscathed.
Dalipsingh and her friend were taken to the Arima District Hospital by Emergency Health Services (EHS) personnel.
Dalipsingh died around 9.45 pm while undergoing emergency surgery.
Dalipsingh’s friend, who was shot once in his left leg, remained warded in a stable condition up to late yesterday.
Homicide detectives visited the scene and recovered 10 spent 9mm shells.
Police sources said yesterday that based on the circumstances of what transpired, they believe that the gunman may have been targeting Dalipsingh’s friend and not her. They said although a search was conducted to apprehend the gunman, he was not arrested up to late yesterday.
When a news team from Guardian Media visited the residential community yesterday, no one was at Dalipsingh’s home and the front gate was unlatched.
The house, which was not cordoned off with caution tape, appeared to be untouched since the shooting, as a pool of thickened blood was seen on the steps leading to the gallery and broken glass from a window, which was hit by a stray bullet, covered the floor of the gallery.
A group of persons, who claimed to be friends of Dalipsingh and her child’s father, visited the scene after hearing reports of the shooting.
The group of friends, who declined to comment extensively about Dalipsingh, stated that she previously worked for the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep).
They claimed that Dalipsingh lived at the location with her youngest child and the child’s father, while her older children lived with relatives.
Dalipsingh’s next-door neighbour appeared apprehensive to speak about the incident, as he claimed that he barely knew her as she only moved into the community within the past two years.
