Kevon George was warned by his family to move out of his Chafford Court, Port-of-Spain, apartment for- his own safety in the face of continuing gang violence but he had initially ignored them.
But on Sunday when the place he had called home for close to a year finally became too hostile he packed up most of his belongings to move out. However, before he could accomplish that gunmen pounced on him and killed him.
According to police reports, around 11.30 pm Chafford Court residents called the police after hearing gunshots. Members of the Port-of-Spain Task Force responded and found George’s body behind Building B.
Speaking with the media outside the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, George’s father, Don, said his son had moved to the area after returning from Canada about nine months ago.
He added that constant pleas by family for him to move out were unheeded as the 29-year-old claimed he was “cool” and “not in anything.”
However, the grieving father said on Sunday evening things changed and his son decided it was time to leave.
“All I know was that he was leaving Chafford Court when it happen. He’s originally from Diego Martin, then he went away and when he come back he was there with a cousin. He was the eldest of three children,” his sister Kim Lewis said.
She added: “Well whatever incident took place last week with somebody I don’t know, really I can’t tell you because I was not there. All I know was he was leaving to move out after something happened last week.
“He had packed up to leave and we don’t know like they find out he leaving and they decide to deal with it. Because it have gang thing going on in there and we used to ask him about it all the time and he used to tell me, ‘Kim, no I not involved’ but after last week I don’t know what he heard or saw but he wanted to leave.”
Other relatives told the T&T Guardian that George received a text message the night before he was killed telling him to either choose a side in the war or leave the area. George decided to leave and was awaiting transportation to take him to a relative’s home in east Trinidad when he was shot in the neck and face. (See Page A6).