RACHAEL ESPINET and
RHONDOR DOWLAT
Three men were killed In T&T between Monday night and yesterday in three separate incidents.
In the first incident, police said Nigel “Kumo” George, 44, was killed in a shootout in Barataria on Monday.
Police said around 10 pm, George, of Sawmill Avenue, Barataria, was found by officers attached to the Morvant CID and Hotspot Patrol who had responded to a report of gunshots in the area.
He was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Hours laters, around 2.30 am, 41-year-old Mathew Downes was found slumped behind the wheel of his car along Bagatelle Road, San Juan. Police said they received a report of a shooting in the area and later found Downes dead. Downs lived at Laventille Road, San Juan.
In the most recent incident, police said Shan “Bepper” Bhaijoo, 29, was found dead at David Toby Road, Madras. He had been shot in the head.
Police claimed Bhaijoo was a known drug dealer but speaking with the T&T Guardian last night, Bhaijoo's brother, who asked not to be identified, denied his brother's involvement in the drug trade.
He, however, claimed that Bhaijoo met with him at Paul Augustus Road, where he (Bhaijoo) rented an apartment and divulged critical information to him.
“He told me that his life was threatened and people had threatened to kill him. He also told me the names of the people who wanted him dead,” Bhaijoo's brother said.
Bhaijoo worked at a agricultural shop in the area.
One villager said: “I know him. He was last seen on Sunday when he went to buy bread and a soft drink. He was very quiet and sometimes not seen much.”
An autopsy will be carried out at the Forensic Sciences Complex, St James, today.
Officers from the Cunupia Police Station are investigating.
The murder toll is now 117 according to the Homicide Bureau of Investigations.