WITH three triple murders and eight double murders for the month so far, taking the toll to 59, the father of two men killed in one of them says there is no hope for the country.
Speaking to Newsday at the home a neighbour, Joseph Paul said the country has “gone through.”
Two of Paul’s sons, Curtis Dobson, 31, Justin Paul, 25, and Paul's girlfriend, Shalini Shivnanand, 25, were killed in Carapo on Saturday afternoon.
The couple lived at Temple Street, Chanka Trace, El Socorro, while Dobson lived at Peytonville Road, Carapo.
Paul believed the couple was dropping Dobson home when they took a wrong turn and was killed for being strangers.
Police reported that at about 2.50 pm they received a report of gunshots at Rose Drive, Carapo. When they responded they found the couple dead in the front seats and Dobson slouched in the back of the car.
“All I want is justice. This place gone off course real bad. I not saying going, it gone! I not saying it gone because it reach me yuh know, I see it gone for the past year and a half now.”
Paul said many innocent people were dying because of gunmen who missed their targets and killed innocent people, like his children and daughter-in-law.
“This place gone, gone, gone, it ain't going, it gone! I would just love to get justice for my two children. That is all, I wish the Lord could grant me that. I asked him for safety over them, he didn’t give me it. I hoping me asking for justice he will give me one.”
Paul said his prayers for safety for his children may have been answered in a different way as things could have been worse if Justin’s five-year-old son was with them.
He said when the couple were leaving, they left with their signature smile and that is how he wants to remember them.
“That girl was a genuine soul. Ask anybody in the community and they would tell you that” he said.
Dobson was a plumber while Justin was a wackerman with CEPEP. Shivnanand, who was born in Guyana and grew up in Trinidad, was a doubles vendor in the Central Market in Port of Spain.
A friend of the family, Shanti Mungroo, recalled telling the couple not to go anywhere and to go home and sleep. Mungroo, who usually looks after Justin’s son, said she told them multiple times to stay home and they both promised they would.
Around 5 pm on Saturday, they began seeing pictures and videos on social media of the couple.
“Justin was like a son to me, he and my son grew up together. She (Shivnanand) was my son's girlfriend sister and she come like mine too. She was really nice, always jolly and always made you laugh.”
On January 8, with just 12 murders, the Prime Minister in a Facebook post said he was expecting a redoubling of efforts by the protective service coming out of a historical murder toll of 559
Newsday called and sent WhatsApp messages to National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds asking about the redoubling efforts and what else was being done to address the murder toll but
