Trinidad: Parts World employee shot dead in Barataria as police probe possible gang reprisal

Trinidad and Tobago: A Parts World employee was allegedly killed and shot in the car park of a business along the Eastern Main Road, Barataria, on Tuesday, July 21. Investigators believe that the latest killing can be linked to the ongoing Chinapoo and Mon Repos gang feud.

The victim has been identified as Shaquille Charles, of Mon Repos Road, Morvant.

According to officials, the police arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting and launched investigation into broad daylight murder. Reports allege that the killing is being treated as a possible reprisal attack following Saturday's deadly triple murder at the Unipet Gas Station in Laventille.

According to the reports, the victim was allegedly targeted because he lived in the Mon Repos community, which has been at the centre of an increasingly violent conflict with rivals from Chinapoo. However, the sources claim that the victim was not known to be involved in criminal activity.

He wasn't involved in anything, but because he was from Mon Repos and there's a war between men from there and fellas from Chinapoo, they gunned him down, the source noted.

This latest homicide came just three days after heavily armed gunmen carried out a brazen daylight execution at the Unipet Gas Station at the corner of Old Morvant Road and the Eastern Main Road.

The victims in that attack, Khalil Malik Emmanuel Williams, 22-year-old, and Mikal Beebo Campbell, 29-year-old, were believed to be deliberately targeted by the masked gunmen armed with high powered rifles.

During that attack, the attackers opened fire shortly after 9:13 a.m., spraying the service station with bullets.

The open fire also claimed the life of 50-year-old air-conditioning technician Selvon jack, who had just stopped at the station to buy fuel and was caught in the crossfire while running for safety.

The investigators at the crime scene recovered around 35 spent 5.56 calibre rifle shell casings, highlighting the intensity of the assault.

Police further recovered two vehicles that were believed to have been used by the attackers, a white Nissan Tiida abandoned in Fondes Amandes and a silver Nissan B15 found in Chinapoo.

Furthermore, the investigators believe strongly that Tuesday’s killing may be the part of an ongoing cycle of retaliation between rival groups operating in Chinapoo and Mon Repos, that has fuelled multiple murders and shootings in recent months as they are carrying out further investigations.