Trinidad and Tobago welcome 2025 with tragic start, 39-year-old shot dead in home invasion

Trinidad and Tobago is continuing to record homicides even after the declaration of State of Emergency with a 39-year-old becoming the recent victim of gang violence on the first day of 2025. 

According to the information by police officials, the victim has been identified as Keegan Barbour who was shot dead early on New Year Day at his home located on Laventille Road.  

While sharing the details of the incident, the police said that the death of Barbour marks the first murder of the year.  

It was reported that a group of gunmen went inside his resident around 1 30 am and started to shoot right at the victim. While Barbour ran to the back of the house but the men followed him and shot him dead.  

The residents in the area heard the gunshots and called the police following which PCs Ravi Chinpire and O’Connor of the San Juan CID responded.  

The officials have launched an investigation into the incident and are attempting to catch the suspect(s) who carried out this home invasion.  

2024 ended with 625 murders in Trinidad and Tobago 

The police officials further revealed that the year 2024 ended with a high count of 625 homicides with the last murder of the year taking place on December 31 of Randall Hector. The victim who was a well-known attorney was killed in a drive-by ambush after leaving the church in Port of Spain with his family.  

Hector was rushed to the nearby hospital but he succumbed to his injuries after being shot directly in chest.  

State of Emergency declared big failure 

On December 30, 2025, President Christine Kangaloo declared a state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago which gave police officials additional powers to fight crime.  

The development came after six individuals were killed over the weekend in what was believed to be the start of a brutal gang war.  

However, the occurrence of two murder after the declaration of SOE has left the locals frustrated with people calling it as a ‘huge failure’.  

Taking to Facebook, a user named Renu Mishra noted,  “A curfew is needed,” while another said, “The road blocks is not solving anything apparently. Giving demerit points. Tickets and old talk. Waste of time. Stronger laws for petit crimes need to put in place first.. not only bail bail bail.” 

“They busy sharing tickets and harassing innocent citizens. Why don't they go into Beetham, sea lots and Laventille? The SOE failed before it even start,” said another local named Brandon.