The Easter weekend murder toll climbed to nine yesterday with the killing of 24-year-old Mikhail Dyer who was gunned down at his Enterprise Village, Chaguanas, home at around 3 pm. Police said two gunmen stormed into Dyer’s home and shot him several times in the head and upper body. He collapsed and died in his yard.
Head of the Central Division Snr Supt Johnny Abraham told the T&T Guardian the killing might have been an overspill from the ongoing warfare between the Rasta City and Muslim gangs. He said a cyclist armed with a pistol was held a short distance from the murder scene and is being questioned. Shortly after that arrest, officers went to Bagaloo Trace where they seized three more firearms.
“I am sending a message to them, I am not scared of anybody and I am not going to tolerate that nonsense in central Trinidad, so from today we are going to be hitting the ground hard again whoever has to get pulled in, has to get pulled in,” Abraham said. However, while the police are linking Dyer’s murder to gang activity, residents claim it stems from a recent robbery at the victim’s home. They said last week Dyer was robbed but managed to hold one of the bandits who was severely beaten and had since then been threatening the father of three.
Relatives said Dyer was an ambitious man who had only on Holy Thursday obtained his heavy-T driver’s licence and was looking forward to being promoted from a labourer to driver at Kiss Baking Company. In an unrelated killing, police are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the cause of death for Junior Bernard Sanchez, 39, whose body was found at his home at Joseph Morantez Trace, Substation Road, San Raphael, on Saturday. Police said the body bore marks of violence.