A crippled gang member and a 26-year-old taxi driver were murdered in two shootings in Port-of-Spain between Tuesday night and yesterday morning. The two murders, plus that of Police Cpl Terrance Abraham, raised the murder toll to 141 for the year. In the latest incident, 40-year-old David Bishop, of Lower Dibe Road, Long Circular, St James, was shot dead near his home.
Police said Bishop was partially crippled from a shooting he survived several years ago and used a wheelchair to move around. Police said despite his disability, he was still involved with a gang which operated in his community and had a long criminal record which included convictions for drug possession. His relatives told police that around 9 am yesterday, some of his friends visited his home and left with him in a car to go to a liming spot at Upper Dibe Road.
Almost two hours later, police received a report of gunshots in the area. Officers, led by Inspector Henry Dann, responded and found Bishop lying on the roadway with several gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer (DMO). Police believe while liming the group was attacked by a gunman. The men scattered, leaving Bishop behind and he was shot several times. Homicide detectives listed his murder as gang-related.
A little over 12 hours before Bishop was killed, 26-year-old taxi-driver Quincy Martin was shot dead while plying his car for hire near Independence Square, Port-of-Spain. According to reports, around 7.15 pm on Tuesday, Martin, of Springville Avenue, Picton Quarry, Laventille, was driving his Nissan B13 along Duncan Street when he stopped near Independence Square to pick up passengers.
While he was waiting a gunman, pretending to be a passenger, walked up to him and shot him several times in his chest. The gunman then ran away. Martin attempted to drive away but crashed into two vehicles parked at the side of the road. He died on the scene. Officers from the Port-of-Spain CID, led by ASP Ajith Persad and Insp Sahadeo Singh, visited the scene and searched the area for the suspect but was unsuccessful.
In an interview at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, Martin’s girlfriend, Candace Simon, said he had been plying his taxi for nine years. “He bought his own car and the next step was to have a child. We spent time together on Sunday and I spoke with him Monday. We ate and hung out clothes as normal,” she said, adding he was a person who was “lovable to everybody.” His aunt, Lynette Barker, said Martin was not the victim of an attempted robbery because all the money was left in the pocket of the driver’s door.
A motive for his murder has not been determined. Detectives from the Region One Homicide Bureau are probing both murders.
— With reporting by Camille Clarke
