Three men were killed in separate shooting incidents that occurred between Friday night and yesterday. Their deaths have pushed the murder toll to 58 for the year. In the first killing, 40-year-old Rawle Francis, the owner of GPS experts, a company which installs security devices in vehicles, died at 5.35 am yesterday at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, after being shot around 10 pm on Friday. According to police, Francis had responded to a stolen vehicle at Jerningham Avenue, Belmont, and Queen’s Park West, when he was ambushed by the car thieves who shot him and escaped. Francis lived at Santa Cruz Old Road. Hours later, around 1.45 am yesterday, gunmen struck again, this time murdering a former fire officer.
Police said Raymond Miller, 59, of Fourth Street West, Delamare Avenue, Trincity, was discovered dead in the roadway by a neighbour. Residents of the area reportedly told police they heard what sounded like gunshots around 1.45 am, but thought it was Miller being his usual noisy self and setting off fireworks. Police said Miller was playing loud music at the time of his death. He had several matters in court for being a nuisance to his neighbours with the loud music. Police said they found ten spent nine-millimeter shells at the scene. And in the third killing, 19-year-old Akile De Silva of Scorpion Alley, Carenage, was digging a trench in his yard when a gunman stood on a hill nearby and opened fire on him, killing him instantly. The murder took place around 12.10 pm yesterday. Homicide detectives are continuing investigations into the three murders.
