Police said high-powered weapons were used in the deadly shooting that occurred in Diego Martin on Sunday night, which left a member of the T&T Defence Force dead and three others wounded.
Crime Scene Investigators recovered over 40 spent shells at the scene of the crime at La Puerta Avenue.
The victim was identified as Denapoli Nicholai Greene, 27, of 65 La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin. The soldier was last assigned to Camp La Romain in south Trinidad.
A police report said at 9.45 pm, Greene was liming at La Puerta Avenue with a group of men when a silver-coloured vehicle drove up to them. Two gunmen got out the car and opened fire on the group. Greene died at the scene.
The three men who were injured were shot multiple times. They were taken to the St James Medical Hospital for treatment.
Police identified them as a 20-year-old man from Upper La Puerta Avenue, who was shot in the right leg; a 27-year-old man from Roxborough Street, who was shot in the inner left and right thighs and an 18-year-old of Albasmond Drive, La Puerta Avenue, who was shot on the right thigh, left hip and left groin/pelvis area.
All three were in stable condition at hospital yesterday.
The murdered man’s relative, who asked not to be named, said the community was in a state of shock over Greene’s killing.
“We cannot understand how something like that could happen in his home. He was home and killed. But the only thing left now is justice, one way or the other we have to get justice. I ain’t really trust the police but we watching what will be done and who they charging for this,” the relative said.
The relative added that there are claims that a fight may have led to the murder.
“Word on the ground is that they saying Nic was involved in a fight on the Avenue but that’s strange to me. That young man is a disciplined young man in and out of uniform. But justice will come,” the relative added.
Greene’s colleagues were also left saddened.
One of them also denied that the 27-year-old soldier was bullied by other members of the Defence Force, after a social media video showed Greene being laughed at and called names.
“There’s nothing to it really. He was just being laughed at and he was also laughing but we knew him to be the one who took his duty seriously and ensured that he executed overall discipline and was neatly dressed in his uniform at all times,” the colleague said.
Police said they are working to establish a motive for the incident and are trying to determine if it was connected to a bar brawl over the weekend.
It is alleged that a businessman was beaten by a group of men while at a bar.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.