Police are investigating two murders in Arima and St James which occurred within one hour of each other between Friday night and yesterday morning. The two murders, along with the death of a shooting victim on Friday evening, pushed the toll to 245 for the year. In the first incident, around 11.30 pm on Friday, 34-year-old Kervin Ansolia, of Mausica Lands, Arima, was repairing his car in front of his home when a gunman sneaked up behind him and shot him several times.
Police said Ansolia's relatives heard the gunshots and ran outside in time to see the attacker running away from the scene. Ansolia was rushed to the Arima Heath Facility where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Less than 45 minutes after Ansolia's murder, police from Western Division led by Insp Thomas received a report of a shooting at Dundonald Hill, Long Circular, St James.
When the officers arrived on the scene they found the body of man at the side of the road with gunshot wounds to the head and shoulder. The victim was later identified as 32-year-old Dundonald Hill resident Jason Phillips. Homicide detectives said Phillips was not known to police and a motive for his murder is yet to be determined. They said they received information on the identity of Phillips’ attacker and an arrest is imminent.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old construction worker who was wounded in a shooting near his Morvant home on Friday has died at hospital. Nicholas Pierre, of Carpenter Street, Morvant, died at the Intensive Care Unit of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, hours after he and his friend Karim Harewood were shot.
At around 12.45 pm on Friday the two men were at a job site near Pierre’s home when they were ambushed by a gunman who shot them several times. Harewood, of Tapana Street, Morvant, was warded in critical condition up to late yesterday. Autopsies on the three victims will be performed at the Forensic Science Centre in St James tomorrow.