Senior Reporter
shane.superville@guardian.co.tt
While they are still unclear about the circumstances that led to the death of their loved one, Kerdell Whint, relatives are urging parents to pay closer attention to their children and steer them away from crime.
Police said Whint, 20, and another man tried to rob a bar in D’abadie on Wednesday night.
Whint reportedly pointed a gun at patrons and fired shots without hitting anyone, before he was confronted by a customer who is a licensed gun owner.
The customer shot Whint and his accomplice.
Whint died at the scene while his accomplice remained warded at hospital up to yesterday.
Police found and seized a black Sig Sauer pistol with 14 rounds of ammunition believed to have been used by Whint in the bar.
Guardian Media visited Whint’s Ali Jhan Lane, D’abadie home and spoke with relatives, who said they were sceptical of the official account given by police.
One relative, who asked not to be named, said Whint was originally from La Romain, but stayed with relatives in D’abadie as it was closer to the El Socorro jobsite where he worked as a construction worker. She said Whint also earned extra money by working as a vendor selling water at the Maloney traffic lights on weekends.
The relative said while she remembered Whint as a helpful and hard-working young man, she could only advise parents to be more attentive to the behaviour of their children.
She said: “I am hearing all kinds of things. I would advise parents, grandparents, whoever, to take a closer look at their children, their grandchildren or whoever concerns them.”
She added: “Because everybody is saying all kinds of things, but I don’t see what they see and the children don’t always show things in front of their parents. You might not see me rolling on the ground, jumping and bawling, but it’s hurting me. If he used to do this (crime), I never had any knowledge of this, so people will say all kind of things but I know what to believe. I don’t know him to be that kind of person but I will not put my head on a block because I don’t know what happened... or what was going through his mind that made him do what he did, if he did it.”
The relative said she was deeply pained by Whint’s death, recalling her last interaction with him on Wednesday afternoon.
Another relative said his last conversation with Whint was to inform him that their grandmother had prepared a meal of fried bake and tuna fish.
This relative said Whint was imprisoned for a period of time but said he did his best to avoid criminality. He said Whint’s death came as a shock and questioned the official story provided by police, as he claimed the bullet wounds on Whint’s body appeared to be from his back, suggesting he was shot from behind.
He also called on young people to be mindful that their actions have consequences.
He said, “We don’t have a clear picture on what really transpired, all I know is that he (Whint) dead and people saying he went on a robbery. If that’s what really happened, to the young people, hard work will always pay off.
“Don’t succumb to peer pressure. Don’t try to prove to anybody that you can do this or that, because when you end up in trouble, nobody is coming to help you.”
The relative said he was also saddened by the comments on social media which celebrated Whint’s death and urged the public to be more compassionate.
Guardian Media also spoke to a patron who was at the bar during the robbery, who said while she was shaken up she would not allow it to deter her from living her life.
She said she was grateful for the help of the customer who defended the patrons.
“I was just lucky someone was here who did what they had to do. I can’t let that keep me back. If bandits want you, they will go in your home to get you,” the patron said.
Police from Maloney CID are continuing investigations.