Toddler among three people murdered in Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Stuart Young has called for the resignations of two senior government ministers following the murders of three people, including a two-year-old child on Thursday in Morvant, on the outskirts of the capital.

The incident followed a similar pattern last month when three other people, including an eight-year-old child, J’layna Armstrong, who were also gunned down in Morvant in a drive-by shooting.

Police say they cannot as yet link the murders of Anthony Wilson, Akil Kafi, and his two-year-old son, Akinni, to the April 20 killings.

“I am angry, disturbed and saddened by yet another mass shooting and the murder of three people including an innocent two-year-old child in Belmont ….his horrific crime was carried out in broad daylight. It is clear that the Kamla Persad Bissessar government has NO CRIME PLAN apart from states of emergency which we have said cannot be a crime plan,” Young, the parliamentary representative for the area, wrote on his Facebook Page.

The country’s Deputy Police Commissioner, Suzette Martin, speaking to reporters at the scene of the murders, described the killings as a “tragic and senseless act of violence” adding that four people, including the child’s mother, had shot, resulting “in three persons succumbing to their injuries, including a child.

“One victim is hospitalised and needs medical attention. The incident has caused fear in the community and of course, the country, but we want to assure the citizens that they can come and to share any information that they can with the police,” said Martin.

Martin said that the police have deployed operational teams on the ground ”and we are continuing this investigation.

“At this time, we are a sensitive part of investigations, so we will not be able to share much with you, but as investigations develop, we will be able to share,” she said, adding that “I know we are in a state of emergency and we are trying to treat with a lot of gun activities at this time and we are managing”.

Martin said said that she is urging citizens “not to take it all into their own hands, but to report all incidents to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service,” she said, telling reporters that she can’t as yet link Wednesday’s murders to what transpired on April 20, that sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for justice and expressing grief over the death of the child.

“At this time, I don’t have that information,” she added.

Young has called for the “immediate resignations” of the Minister of Defence, Wayne Sturge and the Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, adding that “the situation is intolerable and no amount of hollow and moronic rants by the government are going to give law abiding citizens any comfort or assurance”.

He said what is even worse is that a junior government minister, whom he did not name, had recently “gone on a racist rant about my constituents in Belmont (and that) is adding insult to the pain that citizens are already feeling with the loss of life.

“I once again offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of two-year- old Akinni and others who lost their lives in this horrific tragedy. To my constituents and the wider population I say ignore the crass and heartless racist comments of the government and I pray that God intervenes and may He bless our lands of Trinidad and Tobago,” Young wrote.