RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
When pensioner Christiana Joseph heard a volley of gunfire near her home on Wednesday night, she went to bed as gunshots were a usual occurrence in the Tarodale, Gardens community.
But minutes later she found out the bullets had killed her grandson,
Hakeem Joseph, 28 of Hope Street, Tarodale, Ste Madeleine.
Police said Joseph was walking along Harmony Street, Phase Two when a man walked up to him and fired shots at point-blank range. He died instantly.
Speaking at their home the distraught grandmother said she had tried to raise her grandson after his mother Patrice Joseph died at the age of 35.
She said Joseph went down the wrong path and ended up in jail.
He came out of prison seven months ago but had difficulty finding work.
Police say they are uncertain about the motive behind Joseph's murder.
Officers said when they arrived at Harmony Avenue and Positivity Avenue, they found a crowd gathered around Joseph's lifeless body. He was lying on his back in blood, with multiple gunshot wounds, dressed in blue three-quarter pants and green boxers.
Despite efforts to gather information from witnesses at the scene, no one came forward with any details about the incident.
District Medical Officer Dr Balkissoon visited the scene and ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for a post-mortem examination.
Crime Scene Investigators WPC Samaroo and WPC Gilkes processed the scene, recovering seven 9mm spent casings as evidence. The body was then transported to the San Fernando General Hospital Mortuary.
Senior police officers, including Insp Wilkinson, Sgt Fortune, Sgt Mc Donald from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), and officers from the Southern Division Task Force and the Homicide Bureau of Investigation Region Three, visited the scene.
Anyone with information can contact the Ste Madeleine Police Station or the Homicide Bureau of Investigation Region Three.
Guardian Media will update this story as more information comes to hand.