A family lime at Bayshore, Marabella, ended tragically on Friday night after gunmen opened fire on them, killing a 32-year-old man.
Atiba Wildman, a worker at the San Fernando City Corporation, died hours later at the San Fernando General Hospital. Wildman, a father of two, was shot once.
A resident living a short distance away from where Wildman was killed was also shot that night. She told police that she was awakened by loud explosions and then realised that she had been shot in the leg. She is warded in a stable condition.
A relative recalled, "Minutes to 11 we had a family lime. We saw about five to six fellas walking down from the area, and they start to shoot behind us and everybody run."
Shortly after, relatives found Wildman lying on the road. "When we raise him, we did not see any blood. But, he only keep saying he weak. When we carry him inside, then we realised he had a bullet in his back. He had a hole in his back. We rush him to the hospital," she said.
A bullet hole on a galvanize fence in the Marabella Trainline where Atiba Wildman was killed on Friday.
RISHI RAGOONATH
However, they claimed the hospital did not give Wildman immediate medical care. "The hospital take a very long. About three hours to do surgery on him, probably four...He was in and out of consciousness. He kept asking how we going and if it is his family safe." She said he also signed the hospital's surgery consent form. "He was conscious. They could have well more than save his life," she lamented.
Residents, however, believe that the men who are stealing cables in the area are also responsible for a fire that destroyed two houses and a parlour last month, as well as Wildman's murder. They also complained that since last year they have been asking the authorities to repair the non-functioning street lights in the area. Homicide detectives are still working on a motive. Guardian Media reached out to the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) about the family's claim, but no response was forthcoming up to late Saturday.
