kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
The Baxter siblings had already decorated their homes with patriotic paraphernalia ahead of T&T celebrating 60 years of independence yesterday.
However, instead of spending the day barbecuing and liming in honour of the country’s milestone, they were mourning the murder of their only brother Dale Baxter.
Reports stated that a gunman shot Baxter, 52, a father of one, in the back of his head as he visited friends along Smith Street, Couva, on Tuesday night.
It was difficult yesterday for Baxter’s sisters to ponder why someone wanted him dead. They said Baxter worked at the National Gas Company and had no known issues with anyone.
“He was well loved by his friends, co-workers , family and neighbours. Everybody loved him. We are a very close-knit family. Our only brother, they took,” his eldest sister, Dorinda, said.
Speaking at their home in Balmain, Couva, another sister, Delia, said police took Baxter’s phone to see if any messages could help establish a motive for his murder.
Relatives said the gunman did not take anything, including his licensed firearm, from Baxter.
However, investigators are probing information that Baxter was gambling and was shot dead after the game. They are also checking into a report of a relationship with a woman from West Trinidad going sour. However, there was nothing concrete yet.
Delia said that around 9.40 pm on Tuesday, Dorinda called, saying that she heard something was wrong with Baxter. They met up and went to the Couva District Health Facility, where they saw medical staff tending to Baxter under a tent. But 10 minutes later, a doctor approached them with the tragic news of his death.
Earlier that night, Baxter went to an area known as the Capildeo block, where he usually played cards at a friend’s home. Delia learned that Baxter drove into the street and a Nissan Almera passed him and turned around.
A man wearing a hoodie then approached and fired several shots at Baxter before leaving.
Baxter fell into a drain and his friends, who had already begun the card game, ran out. They put Baxter in the back of his pick-up and took him to the health facility.
Delia last spoke to Baxter on Monday evening, as he was cutting the lawn at his home in preparation for yesterday’s event. She said the son and daughters of the late Justice of the Peace Desmond Baxter were close and always hosted family events and trips.
“He always talked about safety. He always looked at these videos. He dealt with high-power people, and they would tell him to be careful. When we sat down together and talked, he would talk about these things and for us to be safe. He would send little clips for the sisters, his niece and his son to try to tell us to be safe and careful. We were always talking about safety,” Delia said.
Three of the four siblings and their families lived in the same block. So, when Delia returned from choir practice last Monday and saw a strange man walking in front of her house, she drove past her home and called Baxter. He told her to wait and walked across to her house with his firearm. The siblings said the murder could not be robbery-related, as his killer did not take anything. Although Baxter had his firearm, his killer ambushed him and he had no time to defend himself.
Meanwhile, police are still probing two other murders on Tuesday.
A day after his brother was gunned down in Santa Cruz, Brandon Joseph was attacked by gunmen in the same community. The 28-year-old escaped with his life but his girlfriend Ashley Morris was killed.
According to reports the couple were attacked early Tuesday morning.
Morris, who was also 28, was shot dead while Joseph was shot in the right leg and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Around 3.15 pm on Tuesday, Joseph’s brother, Jevon, was shot dead at Cakes Land, La Canoa, Santa Cruz. Jevon, 26, died at the scene.
Around the same time in a separate unrelated incident, a man identified only as “Kessy” was shot and killed while liming at a car wash on St Vincent Street, Tunapuna. Reports state gunmen ran up to the man and shot him multiple times. He died on the scene.
