分类： society

A young life full of potential has been tragically cut short by gang violence in Trinidad and Tobago, leaving the nation mourning. Nine-year-old J’Layna Armstrong was one of four people killed in a targeted ambush shooting along Lady Young Road in Morvant Sunday night, as the group returned from a community outing at Harry’s Water Park in Tabaquite.

In the days following the attack, tributes have poured in for the young girl, who was remembered by her community as bright, kind, and bursting with life. J’Layna held the title of Junior Queen with the DMC Kiddies Carnival band, and clips of her performing in full mas costume earlier this year, shared widely across social media, have underscored the joy and promise lost to the violence.

Mark Ayen, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Bands Association, memorialized J’Layna in an emotional social media post. “From the moment I met her, she was my Junior Queen, bright, kind, full of life,” Ayen wrote. “In the mas camp, our children become our own…and this loss cuts deep. We didn’t just lose a child, we lost a future full of promise.” Ayen called on the country to confront its ongoing crisis of violent crime, noting that the nation’s young people deserve the chance to grow into that promised future. “Rest in peace J’Layna. You deserved better,” he said.

Veteran Trinidadian actor, producer and drama teacher Penelope Spencer, who taught J’Layna at Newtown Girls RC School, also remembered the girl’s natural charisma and creative spark. “She was creative, she could act and loved playing mas and winning competitions,” Spencer shared in a Facebook tribute. She recalled J’Layna’s dedicated work on a small role during a 2023 school performance, adding, “I am so saddened by her passing.”

Neighbors in J’Layna’s Nicholasville, San Juan community, where she had lived with her mother for five years, described her as a constantly happy, warm, and outgoing child. “She was a nice little girl. Oh my gosh, she was such a happy child,” one anonymous neighbor told reporters.

Police have released the identities of the other three victims: 23-year-old Obataiye Latiff of Don Miguel Road, San Juan; Chelsea Edwards of Belle Eau Road, Belmont; and Asim Armstrong of Mc Shine Road, Belmont. As of Tuesday evening, investigators had not confirmed whether Asim Armstrong was related to J’Layna, who shared his surname. A fourth survivor, 23-year-old Cornelius Short of East Port of Spain, remained in stable condition at a local hospital Tuesday.

Investigators have outlined the sequence of the attack, which unfolded around 7:50 p.m. Sunday. All five victims were traveling north along Lady Young Road in a red Mitsubishi Lancer, heading home after their day trip. An eyewitness driving a southbound Hyundai Tucson told police he saw a second vehicle cut into the Lancer’s lane, before multiple gunmen inside opened fire on the car.

After the Lancer’s driver was hit by gunfire, he attempted to escape the attackers by swerving, and collided head-on with the eyewitness’s Tucson near a local church, just a short distance from the area’s pedestrian walkover. Eyewitness accounts confirm that even after the crash, the gunmen continued firing into the Lancer before fleeing north along Lady Young Road, leaving all four victims dead and Short injured.

Local residents in Morvant, where the shooting took place, say they have grown fed up with repeated cycles of violent crime and emergency declarations that have done little to improve public safety. “State of emergency come so often, like people are immune to it,” one local business owner told reporters. “I fed up seeing children getting killed because criminals now don’t look to see who they shooting at, and they are just firing shots. […] the state of emergency not making a difference because SoE come so often, like people are immune to it, so them criminal coming out as normal as ever.”

Another local resident, who sells bread near the shooting site, noted the attack unfolded just feet from his daily work, while a third resident acknowledged the widespread pain of the child’s killing, but admitted fear of retaliation prevents community members from speaking out more forcefully. “It is a hurtful thing for the child to be killed though, and I cannot say much after that because if you say too much, you can be killed. The police have to do their jobs,” they said.

Speaking at a Tuesday afternoon press conference at the Port of Spain police administration building, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro confirmed that investigators have identified persons of interest in connection with the quadruple murder, though no arrests have yet been made. Guevarro said law enforcement is deploying all available intelligence and investigative resources to advance the case and deliver answers to the victims’ families. Police have classified the murders as gang-related.

As of Tuesday evening, the national murder toll for the current year stands at 110, a slight decrease from the 120 recorded on the same date last year.

A violent brazen attack on a Trinidad and Tobago police station has left one law enforcement officer dead and triggered a major investigation into a massive firearms heist, with authorities warning the number of stolen weapons could be far higher than initial recoveries suggest.

On Sunday, attackers stormed the San Fernando Municipal Police Station, located at King’s Wharf along Lady Hailes Avenue, where they killed Acting Corporal Anuska Eversley in a brutal assault that included beating, stabbing, and strangling. The raiders targeted the station’s secure armoury, making off with a yet undetermined number of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

So far, law enforcement teams have recovered 38 stolen firearms following the robbery. But senior police officials confirmed this week that the recovered cache may represent less than half of the total weapons taken during the breach. An official audit is currently underway to pin down the exact number of missing weapons and ammunition, with early estimates putting the total stolen firearms at more than 100, alongside roughly 4,000 rounds of loose ammunition.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Surrendra Sagramsingh explained in a media interview that the San Fernando station plays an unusual, critical role in regional weapons storage: it hosts one of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS)’s most secure storage bunkers, and holds firearms not only for its own officers but also for multiple other regional police stations that borrow or store weapons there. This layered storage setup has complicated efforts to count the missing stock quickly.

“I can confirm that the figure of around 102 stolen weapons is plausible, it could be that number or even a little higher, but we have to complete our audit to be certain,” Sagramsingh said. “We’re cross-referencing all official records, because we have weapons that are permanently assigned to this station, and others that are on loan from or to other units. This station is one of our key hubs for surplus weapons storage to support operations across the region, so we have to trace every weapon that was held here, including those that were lent out to other departments recently, to get an accurate count.”

TTPS Commissioner Allister Guevarro confirmed Thursday that the full scope of the theft is still being mapped, and announced that the service is already rolling out urgent systemic reforms in response to the devastating security breach. “Immediate reforms are being introduced to strengthen firearm storage protocols across all our facilities and ensure strict adherence to all relevant policies and standing orders moving forward,” Guevarro stated, adding that the service is prioritizing closing gaps that allowed the attack to happen.

A fatal jet ski collision that claimed the life of a 7-year-old vacationer on Tobago’s Pigeon Point has sparked urgent calls for sweeping industry regulation, after the detained operator linked to the tragedy was released from custody as police investigators work to wrap up their case.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tobago) Rishi Singh confirmed this week that the 32-year-old operator, a resident of Canaan Feeder Road, Tobago, was released last Saturday, with ongoing inquiries into the April 8 incident still proceeding. When reached for comment by local news outlet the Express, the operator declined to speak publicly on the case.

The victim, Angelica Saydee Jogie, a primary school student from San Fernando’s TML Primary School, was enjoying a family beach trip when the tragedy unfolded. Angelica was in a marked, roped-off swimming zone shortly before 5 p.m. when an out-of-control jet ski breached the safety barrier and crashed into her, her father, and her uncle. The young girl was rushed to Scarborough General Hospital, but medical staff were unable to save her, and she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

In the wake of the incident, fellow jet ski operators across Tobago have rallied around the released man, publicly affirming his reputation as an experienced and safety-focused industry professional, while joining public calls for urgent government action to formalize and enforce rules for the jet ski sector.

Angelica’s mother, Salisha Jogie, has demanded full accountability for her daughter’s death, and is calling for a complete ban on jet ski operations along Tobago’s popular public beaches. Her demand has been echoed by Reginald Mac Lean, head of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, who branded unregulated personal watercraft “ticking time bombs” that put beachgoers at constant risk.

Angelica’s funeral was held last Saturday in Barrackpore, just five days ahead of what would have been her eighth birthday. During the service, Jogie recounted the horrifying final moments of the family’s vacation, before the collision cut short her daughter’s life.

Police authorities confirmed this week that investigative work is in its final stages, with legal documentation currently being prepared to submit to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard. Once reviewed, the DPP will determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the operator in connection with Angelica’s death. Senior Superintendent of Police Rodhil Kirk noted that the investigation is nearing completion.

A viral 23-second video that has spread rapidly across social media platforms has triggered an official police probe into allegations that a serving Trinidad and Tobago Police Service corporal assaulted a woman at her private residence in Tobago West. According to senior law enforcement officials, the recording first came into police possession last Saturday, immediately prompting the opening of a formal investigation into the disturbing incident.

The footage, which has shocked local communities after being shared widely online, captures the uniformed officer repeatedly striking the woman. Visual evidence shows the victim attempting to protect herself from the blows, which land across her head and face, including a clear slap caught on camera. Both parties left the location of the altercation after the incident, which is confirmed to have taken place on April 12 at the woman’s home in the Tobago West district.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Rishi Singh, in an official interview with local outlet the Express, confirmed that investigators are moving forward with the case, but clarified that progress in the probe is partially contingent on cooperation from the victim. “A final resolution to this incident is not solely within the control of the police,” Singh explained. “The victim must first formally submit a statement to investigators to move the process forward. We have also informed her that she can access specialized support from the TTPS’ dedicated Victims and Support unit if she needs assistance.”

The Express also reached out to Ishmael Pitt, the head of the Police Social and Welfare Association, the representative body for police officers in the region, for comment on the allegations. Pitt confirmed that he had reviewed the viral footage firsthand, and openly acknowledged that the video documents an apparent assault against the woman.

Pitt made clear that the police union supports full compliance with local laws and a transparent, impartial investigation into the incident. “There are clear legal frameworks in place to address this kind of conduct, and we as an organization abide by all existing laws and service rules,” Pitt stated. “We stand fully behind any official investigation and whatever outcome it reaches. This matter must be handled exclusively through the proper legal channels, there is no place for extrajudicial action here.”

Pitt further emphasized that violent assault of this nature will not be tolerated within the ranks of the police service. “There are established rules and binding laws that govern the conduct of all officers, and I have full confidence that the investigation will be carried out thoroughly,” he added. “Any person found responsible for misconduct must be held accountable for their actions. This kind of behavior cannot be condoned under any circumstances.”

In an official press briefing held at the Edward Street Police Administration Building in Port of Spain on Tuesday, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Commissioner Allister Guevarro released key updated findings from the autopsy of slain municipal police Corporal Anuska Eversley, confirming the cause of her death and outlining the ongoing investigation into the shocking station killing and arms heist.

Guevarro confirmed that the full autopsy, completed earlier that day, determined Eversley died by strangulation, with additional evidence of both blunt force trauma from a beating and sharp force injuries from stabbing found on her body. The initial public speculation that Eversley had suffered a gunshot wound has been fully ruled out by forensic pathologists, he added, with no trace of bullet wounds found during the post-mortem examination.

Eversley’s body was discovered at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station in the early hours of last Sunday, at approximately 4:40 a.m. Guevarro described the brutal killing and the subsequent theft of firearms and ammunition from the station as an unprecedented event that has sent shockwaves across the nation, and emphasized the TTPS views the arms theft as an issue of the highest concern.

As of the press briefing, six men between the ages of 16 and 33 remain in police custody as persons of interest. Three other detainees—two women and one man—who were taken into custody shortly after the incident were released as investigators continue to piece together the timeline of events. Guevarro noted that further adjustments to the list of detainees are expected as the probe advances.

When asked to confirm the total number of stolen weapons and ammunition, Guevarro declined to give an official final figure, as a full audit of the station’s armory is still ongoing. He told reporters he expects the audit to wrap up within 48 hours. Prior unofficial statements to local media outlet *Express* had put the number of stolen firearms at more than 60, with an estimated 4,000 rounds of ammunition taken. So far, Guevarro confirmed, 38 weapons have been recovered by investigators: one MPX submachine gun, one shotgun, one revolver, and 35 pistols. Investigators have also retrieved 929 rounds of ammunition, including 900 9mm rounds, 10 .38 caliber rounds, and 10 shotgun shells.

Investigators are currently working to confirm how many people were involved in the incident. Guevarro stated that evidence so far points to three people being present at the station the night of the killing, including Eversley herself. Teams are reviewing closed-circuit camera footage to determine whether a fourth suspect was present at the scene. Interviews with Eversley’s colleagues at the municipal police station are also ongoing, as investigators probe for any potential accomplices and assess how the attack was able to be carried out inside the facility.

In the wake of the killing and theft, the TTPS is rolling out sweeping systemic reforms across the country’s entire municipal police network. Guevarro explained that the new measures are designed to close critical security gaps that allowed the incident to occur, with immediate reforms focused on strengthening protocols for firearm storage and mandating strict compliance with existing department policies and standing orders.

Guevarro reiterated a key point for public clarity: the incident is not being classified as a targeted attack against law enforcement. He stressed that this type of violent, fatal attack inside a police station coupled with a mass arms theft is completely unprecedented in Trinidad’s history.