ON the afternoon of January 1, residents of Sapphire Drive, off Crown Trace in Tacarigua made a gruesome discovery when they found the bloodied body of 67-year-old Ezla Theodora Sandy.
Sandy's body had marks of violence and police suspect she was killed and robbed.
Sandy's murder marked the beginning of what would be the bloodiest year in TT's history in terms of murders, with 600 recorded as of December 30 – breaking the previous record of 550 set in 2008.
The rapidly escalating murder toll caused fear and outrage from all corners of society who pointed to an increase in the frequency of multiple killings (double and triple murders), which the authorities blamed on the availability of automatic weapons.
Among those killed for 2022 were several children, some of them babies and toddlers.
In January, ten-year-old Christian Liverpool was shot dead while playing with a gun at a relative's Arima home.
On February 5, Kevin Kyle Spring, 14, was shot dead at Upper Cemetery Street, Diego Martin, in an attack which left three others dead.
Days later, on February 16, 15-year-old Antonio Badenoch was gunned down while looking for a WiFi signal during an islandwide blackout near his St Vincent Street, Tunapuna home.
On April 12, six-year-old Zakariah Charles died at his St Joseph Road, east Port of Spain, home while taking a shower.
Charles' body had several bruises and an autopsy revealed he died of blunt force trauma which suggests he was beaten to death.
Charles' mother Rnella Charles, 31, and her boyfriend Stephon Brizan, 32, were later charged with manslaughter.
On October 15, nine-year-old Jamal Modeste was shot dead while playing at the Africa Recreation Grounds, Enterprise, Chaguanas.
[caption id="attachment_993610" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A man falls to the ground, overcome with grief on seeing the body of his nephew, Isaiah Commissiong, after he was murdered on Christmas Day (December 25) at the La Horquetta Recreation Grounds. - JEFF K MAYERS[/caption]
Days later, on October 23, Nazim Owen, three, was among four people shot and killed on the Diego Martin Main Road.
In the most recent incident, on December 19, one-year-old Nova Brereton was shot dead along with her mother Sashell Elliot, at the latter's Moruga mini mart.
Figures provided by the TTPS' Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) unit showed that gang-related murders accounted for the largest portion of murders with 241, while 94 drug-related murders made up the second largest portion and revenge making up the third largest portion with 54 murders recorded.
Ag CoP: Gang problem on the front burner
Responding to Newsday's questions via WhatsApp on Thursday, acting Police Commissioner Erla Christopher said she was aware of the prevalence of gang-related murders and is hopeful that initiatives introduced would tackle the gang problem.
"Aside from the increased initiatives involving local and international collaboratio
