PETER CHRISTOPHER
peter.christopher@guardian.co.tt
Every night since Justine Davis was murdered in L'Anse Mitan, Carenage, gunshots have rang out in the area after dusk.
Davis, 24, was shot dead on Sunday, July 14, by gunmen who came looking for her boyfriend.
Her boyfriend was injured in the attack but survived the injuries.
Guardian Media was told the gunmen have since come back circling the area looking for him.
They have, on multiple occasions, returned to the house where Davis was killed and opened fire.
"The place here was very quiet, you could stay here all 10, 11," said a resident, who did not want to be identified, "but last year around June, we start hearing about Rasta, Muslim and who is rasta and who is Muslim and who locking the place."
She can trace the spike in violence in the area to the murders of Jelani Warner and Atiba Warner who were murdered six weeks apart in June and July of last year.
Since then the gang warfare in the area has intensified with some of the recent victims of this war including Davis and Ashar Kirby, who were killed following a shooting at KFC Westmoorings last week.
"We used to lime here every night. We drink little beers play all fours, we play draft," said the resident.
"Now that kinda done, now in back here after 7 is a ghost town," said another resident.
"You know how frightening it is? You ever heard the sound of an AR-15 bussing up? I lie down and like father God what taking place," said the resident, who said it was impossible to get used to hearing and seeing those weapons in the community, being brandished by youngsters.
Because of the gang violence in the area parents have expressed concerns about bringing their children to a pre-school to the area for fear the children may wind up in the middle of the gang war.
Another resident has found himself a victim of the crossfire.
"I end up picking three shot from 250 feet (away) and a youth man, 12 years, end up picking up three shot," said the resident who had been living in the community for over 50 years, reliving a shooting incident on May 29.
While he was able to continue walking with his injuries, he said the 12-year-old boy who was hit alongside him was severely injured and now walks with a slump.
He told Guardian Media that he considered himself "collateral damage" in a war that he hopes would stop sooner rather than later.
He is also hopeful that the war will stop in the area so that he could see his daughter get married and have children.
"I hope to live to see my grandchildren, I want her to have 10 grandchildren, I tell her that," said the resident.
He said forgave the youngsters who shot him, as he remembered them as youngsters he once coached, and is hopeful that sporting fields which are often left vacant because of the violence are the catalyst for that peace.
"Time for the shooting to done. Time to bring back the peace how it was long time. Playing sports, let we go and fight on the field, on the court, not with the gun," he said.
Guardian Media approached other residents in the area who were apprehensive about speaking for fear they would be targeted in the future.
