RHONDOR DOWLAT-ROSTANT
A shooting incident that left a man dead forced officials to revert to full online schooling at the Jerningham Government Primary School and the Cunupia Secondary School on Tuesday.
The victim was identified as Sherwin Germina of Moruga.
Meanwhile, residents in the area remained shaken and traumatised over the incident, with some even closing their businesses for the rest of the day.
According to a police report, at about 6.50 am a man in a silver Nissan B15 pulled up near Cunupia Secondary and while he was turning his car around, a blue Yaris pulled up. Several men ran out towards the B15 and opened fire on the driver. They then returned to the vehicle, which sped off.
The security officers from the school checked on the driver, who was motionless.
The officers told police that they recognised the victim as he had come by earlier at about 5.20 am asking for a woman only by the name of Melissa and enquired if she worked there.
Police officers were called in and the area was cordoned off.
An official at the Ministry of Education, who wished not to be named, told the Guardian Media that pupils and teachers arriving early to attend school were allowed on the school’s compound, but a decision was made to send the children back home and online classes were initiated for the day instead of physical classes.
At the scene, residents in the area remained locked up tightly as they claimed they were still reeling from the sound of the gunshots. Two nearby parlours also remained closed.
“This is a very frightening experience for us to be awakened by so many gunshots, then to see a man dying in his car. Lucky thing it was still hours before school and those children would have start to come in. This scary too bad man. I lock up inside since,” one resident who wished anonymity said.
Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit, in an interview with the Guardian Media, described the incident as “a shocking thing.” “It’s the first time something like this happened in Cunupia in the vicinity of the school.
“So the very fact it happened at the front of a school, to me as a representative, it’s very concerning,” Mohit said.
Mohit explained that she has had a good relationship with the police in Chaguanas and Central and assured that she will have conversations to see if patrols can be heightened, as she is aware “it’s lacking.”
“But you can’t blame the police service because they don’t have the resources to do what needs to be done on many occasions. Cunupia, for example, I know they have some challenges in the past with vehicles because I’ve raised it several times. I’m not sure at the moment what’s happening with resource provisions but I will definitely be making contact with the police for recommendations on more patrols and regular spot checks within the areas,” Mohit said.
Mohit said subsequent to her hearing of the incident, she immediately began inquiring.
“There was a shooting at the entrance of the secondary school. It seems as though the person, a man, they found him dead in the car riddled with bullets. This is what I got. It seems as though he crashed into the gate of the primary school,” she said.
“Persons in the area heard gunshots very early around 6 am, but I have no other confirmations. I did not speak with the principal of the Jerningham school but Cunupia (officials) told me they had students who come early but because of the incident, they could not leave them on the compound as it was a crime scene.
“So they made arrangements with the Sergeant to get them in the school without seeing the body and they made arrangements for calls to have them return home. They sent messages and calls as much as they could have to tell them don’t bother to bring the students to school.”
When contacted to find out how their security officers were faring after the incident, corporate communications manager at the National Maintenance Training Security Services (MTS), Adrian Raymond, said, “The company always provides trauma therapy and counselling to our officers if the circumstances require same. That’s a standard part of our operating procedure.”
