When 23-year-old Cody Pierre told relatives he was leaving his home at Sapodilla Trace, Laventille, to buy a cigarette nearby, he did not expect those would be his last words to them.
But he and two other men were gunned down on Tuesday morning.
Police said Pierre, Jevon George, 23 and Alex Morton were standing on Sapodilla Trace at around 9 am when two men with rifles shot them several times.
[caption id="attachment_988349" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Undertakers remove the body of Jevon George, one of three victims shot dead in Laventille on Tuesday morning, as homicide investigators gather evidence and speak with relatives at the crime scene on Sapodilla Trace. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
The gunmen got into a silver Toyota Axio and drove off.
Police from the Port of Spain Task Force were called in and took Morton to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Pierre and George died at the scene.
Newsday visited the area as homicide investigators and officers from the Special Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU) collected spent shells and interviewed residents.
Speaking with Newsday, Pierre's mother, Debra Clunis-Pierre, said her son worked as a cleaner at Holy Name Convent, Port of Spain. She could not think of any reason why anyone would want to harm him.
[caption id="attachment_988348" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Police homicide investigators speak with relatives of the victims of a triple murder at Sapodilla Trace, Laventille on Tuesday. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
She also lamented the spate of murders, saying innocent people were just as likely to be killed as criminals, given the carelessness of gunmen.
"All he liked to do was smoke his weed, and that was it.
"I find they are really overdoing this killing thing, I find if you have issues with allyuh people, deal with allyuh people.
"But why innocent people have to be going through this? I find that so wrong and it's a set of nonsense, useless killing for no reason.
"Why? I don't know. This world just bad."
Clunis-Pierre said her son recently moved in with his sisters, had spoken about spending Christmas with his father and was looking forward to the holidays.
Newsday also spoke to Jevon George's sister, who lamented the murders. She said she was told about her brother's murder while at work and left immediately.
[caption id="attachment_988346" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Residents look on at a crime scene at which three men were killed on Sapodilla Trace, Laventille on Tuesday. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
"I got a phone call telling me that they just killed my little brother on top of the hill.
"As soon as I got that I picked up my bag and called my manager and told him that I had to leave now, they just killed him.
"It needs to stop, they're overdoing it now, because it's innocent people getting killed for no reason."
She said her brother was unemployed but had recently sat an exam to join the regiment and looked forward to getting a job.
She said George was always smil
