Trinidad murder toll reaches 500

KILLERS, you have reached your mark.

While the rest of the country celebrated the festive season, two men were murdered yesterday, bringing the number of people murdered in T&T for 2009 to 500, according to a Sunday Express tally.{{more}}

Yesterday, the murder toll reached 43 less than last year around the same period with two men being killed in separate incidents, some three hours apart. Homicide detectives have placed the murder toll at 497.

The men that made the 500 mark were Glenon Holder, 23, and Keith Molino, 29.

The first to have his life taken away by gunmen was Molino of Sanchez Street, Arima. According to police, Molino alias ‘Zaza’ was shot dead around 3.30 a.m yesterday, moments after he left the Flavour Sports Bar, Cocorite Road, Arima, where a Christmas lime was in full swing.

Molino, who police said is known to be in the illegal drug trade, was hit once in the head after a volley of shots were fired at him. He collapsed and died on the corner of Cocorite and Heni Street, Arima.

Sgt Samuel, PC Ramjohn and WP Cpl Rigsby visited the scene, PC Ramjohn is spearheading the investigations.

Some three hours later, residents of Never Dirty, Morvant, heard a series of gunshots and notified the police. When the officers arrived on the scene they found Holder dead in a track near his Woods Alley home.

According to police, Holder was a gang member believed to be linked to murdered gang leader Junior Joseph, who was shot dead at the Macoya intersection on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway following a comedy show in June last year.

Speaking with the Sunday Express yesterday, head of YesTT, Stephen Cadiz, said he was saddened by the fact that this country has now become the murder capital of the world.

‘This is absolutely ridiculous, I mean New York was once the murder capital and now we have passed New York,’ Cadiz said in a telephone interview.

He said the fact the murder toll has reached 500 was an indication that the PNM administration has no clue or political will to deal with the crime rate.

Contacted for comment on the murder toll, Ag Commissioner of Police James Philbert, initially declined comment until he ‘verified the toll’ figure of 500 and in a follow-up telephone call, said the number of people killed for the year was 494 but that he will have to double check that figure.

National Security Minister, Martin Joseph, who visited Camp Ogden, Long Circular, yesterday told members of the Regiment and some police officers that they should step up their game in crime fighting. (Trinidad Express)