标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A quiet morning commute to a toddler’s daycare turned into a deadly ambush this week in Belmont, leaving a 2-year-old boy and two adult men dead, and the child’s mother fighting for her life in a Port of Spain hospital. As of Wednesday evening, Antonia Cain-Kafi, 39-year-old Aquil Kafi’s wife and the mother of slain toddler Akini Kafi, remained in critical but stable condition after being hit four times during the sudden attack. The third victim was Aquil Kafi’s close friend, Anthony “Monster” Wilson.

What makes the tragedy even more devastating to family members is the long, difficult journey the couple went through to welcome their only child. A close family friend shared with local outlet *Trinidad Express* that Cain-Kafi spent years trying to conceive, and when Akini arrived 2 years and 11 months ago, the couple celebrated him as nothing less than a “miracle baby.”

On Thursday morning around 8:30 a.m., the group was traveling in a Toyota Aqua, with Kafi and Wilson in the front seats and Cain-Kafi and her young son in the back. They were en route to Akini’s regular daycare drop-off when another vehicle cut them off and blocked their path in the Holder Steps/Rifle Hill area, just off Serraneau Road and St Francois Valley Road. A gunman exited the blocking vehicle and immediately opened fire on the car carrying the family. By the time the shooting stopped, both Kafi and Wilson had been killed instantly, while both Cain-Kafi and Akini suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds.

According to police accounts, bystanders in a private vehicle rushed the wounded survivors to Port of Spain General Hospital. Witnesses say Cain-Kafi, despite her own multiple gunshot wounds, managed to hand her injured son over to hospital staff for treatment. Medics were unable to save the toddler, who was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

On Wednesday, *Express* reporters met grieving relatives at the Forensic Science Centre in Federation Park, where family members had traveled to formally identify the bodies of the three victims. One relative who spoke to reporters shared warm, tender memories of the young boy who was taken too soon. Akini, she recalled, had an all-consuming obsession with cars. “He loved cars. He was fascinated by it and, well, he destroyed a lot of toy cars and he would then try to fix it,” she said. “He was a really loving baby boy and, oh my gosh, he had a smile that would melt any lady’s heart.”

Local law enforcement has not yet released updates on potential suspects or motives for the targeted attack, leaving the community in mourning and waiting for answers as the surviving mother recovers from her devastating injuries.

A small group of newly qualified nursing professionals have abandoned their posts at a major public medical facility in Trinidad and Tobago, stepping down over what they describe as unsafe, unregulated working conditions that put their professional licenses and patient safety at severe risk. The Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA) president Idi Stuart confirmed the departure of the three nurses in an interview with the Saturday Express, shedding light on the systemic staffing gaps that led to the early exit of three of the 61 newly hired registered nurses at the North Central Regional Health Authority.

Stuart explained that all newly hired nurses were assigned to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, where they were immediately subjected to working conditions that violated both international nursing standards and onboarding promises made during orientation in April. During their hiring process, the new nurses were guaranteed a structured transition: they would only work weekday morning shifts, gradually acclimate to their roles, always work under the supervision of experienced senior staff, and share shifts with at least two to three other colleagues. None of these commitments were honored once the nurses began their roles.

Instead of the ideal 1:4 nurse-to-patient ratio outlined in global nursing best practices, the facility requires all nursing staff to operate under a 1:6 ratio, a burden the TTNNA has already asked members to tolerate temporarily while the health authority addresses chronic staffing shortages. For the newly licensed nurses, however, the strain extended far beyond an elevated patient load: the three professionals were left to manage their assigned wards entirely alone, with zero ongoing supervision from senior or head nurses – a violation of standard onboarding protocols.

Industry best practice mandates that new graduate nurses remain under close, structured supervision for a minimum of three to six months after starting their first role. Most other regional health authorities across the country maintain formal monitoring departments to support new hires during this transition period, recognizing that it takes an average of two years for new nurses to develop the confidence and clinical competence to practice independently. Leaving a newly licensed nurse unsupervised creates avoidable risks: if a medication error occurs or a critical patient emergency unfolds, the nurse faces professional disciplinary action that can result in the loss of their hard-earned license, all for failures rooted in systemic understaffing, not individual error.

Stuart emphasized that the unmet onboarding commitments and unsupervised working conditions left the three new nurses with no other choice. They were forced to bear full responsibility for critical events like patient cardiac arrests, seizures, and end-of-life care – situations that even experienced nurses struggle to manage alone, and that should never fall to an unsupervised new graduate. With errors all but guaranteed under this structure, the nurses chose to step down rather than risk their professional futures. They now plan to pursue employment opportunities at other regional health authorities that can provide the structured support and safe working conditions necessary to deliver quality patient care.

During a parliamentary debate on the 2026 Parole Bill last sitting day, Trinidad and Tobago’s Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj dropped a bombshell, releasing grim recidivism data from national law enforcement and correctional agencies that lays bare a deepening national crime and rehabilitation crisis.

Maharaj opened his address by warning lawmakers to brace for the troubling statistics, pulling data from two decades of arrest records to frame the scope of the problem. Between 2015 and 2025, a total of 53,183 people were arrested and charged with criminal offenses across the twin-island nation, with roughly 22% of those offenders going on to reoffend after facing legal consequences. Far more alarming, he said, are the figures from the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, which track repeat offending among convicted inmates who have been released back into society. Data collected between 2022 and 2026 shows that the annual recidivism rate for released prisoners has consistently hovered above 50%: hitting 58% in 2022-2023, 56% in 2023-2024, 53% in 2024-2025, and 57% in 2025-2026. Averaged across the five-year period, that means more than one out of every two released prisoners returns to criminal activity after serving their sentence. Calling the trend “scary” and “alarming”, Maharaj questioned the systemic failures driving the cycle of repeat crime, asking, “What is going on in our country? Why are so many of our young people returning to crime?”

Digging into the root of the crisis, Maharaj revealed that prison officials have been sounding the alarm about the lack of resources for years, with no meaningful response from previous leadership. When asked what barriers were driving the high recidivism rate, prison administration confirmed that core rehabilitation programming has never received dedicated government funding. Currently, the prison service uses a standardized risk assessment tool called the LSCMI to evaluate each new inmate’s risk level, individual needs, and accountability on intake. After a six-month orientation period that reviews each offender’s criminal history and risk factors, inmates are placed in programming tailored to their sentence length, needs, and background. The slate of available programming includes evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy, adult literacy and general education courses, vocational and technical skills training, and recreational, spiritual, and cultural activities designed to support pro-social behavior change.

But Maharaj explained that none of these critical programs are supported by public funding. Instead, almost all rehabilitation initiatives rely entirely on external support from faith-based groups, community organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and volunteer private citizens who donate their time, professional expertise, and personal money to run the programs. To date, there is no dedicated budget line allocated to offender rehabilitation within the national correctional system. “Imagine the prison service having to depend on non-governmental organisations to change prisoners’ attitudes and rehabilitate them,” Maharaj said, noting that the entire system is one crisis away from collapse if these external groups pull their support.

Compounding the funding gap are crippling staffing shortages. The nation’s total prison population stands at roughly 3,500 inmates, but only 57 correctional officers are assigned full-time to facilitate and coordinate rehabilitation programming. These officers are tasked not only with coordinating daily activities but also with directly teaching and training inmates, drawing on their own individual skills to lead courses. Without dedicated funding, there is no budget to develop new evidence-based programming, adapt curricula to the changing needs of the inmate population, or expand access to programs across all correctional facilities. Widespread staff attrition has further stretched the system’s capacity, leaving the department responsible for rehabilitation chronically understaffed. Maharaj also highlighted that there is an urgent unmet need for specialized professional training for correctional staff to develop and deliver high-quality rehabilitation programming.

The Justice Minister argued that this systemic neglect is a core contributor to the nation’s ongoing crime crisis, pointing out that while the public and policymakers frequently complain about rising crime and repeat offending, successive governments have failed to address the root gap in rehabilitation resourcing. “The point I am making is, we have been complaining vigorously about crime, we have been complaining about repeat offending, but yet when it comes to addressing the root causes within the prison service, we have not taken the necessary steps,” he said.

Looking forward, Maharaj stated that the current Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration has committed to overhauling the broken correctional system, starting with a full top-to-bottom review of current policies and resourcing. He emphasized that the proposed 2026 Parole Bill is a critical first step to address the crisis: the legislation is designed to expand structured rehabilitation opportunities, give qualifying offenders a meaningful second chance to re-enter society, and support successful long-term reintegration to break the cycle of repeat crime.

A brutal early-morning ambush shooting in the quiet Belmont neighborhood of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, has left three people dead – including a toddler just two weeks shy of his third birthday – and a mother fighting for her life, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community and amplifying long-simmering anger over persistent violent crime.

The attack unfolded at approximately 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday, when four people were traveling through the Holder Steps/Rifle Hill area off Upper St Francois Valley Road in a Toyota Aqua. Akil “Fats” Kafi, 30, the toddler’s father, and his companion Anthony “Monster” Wilson occupied the front seats, while Akil’s partner Antonia Cain-Kafi sat in the back holding their two-year-old son Akinni Kafi. Without warning, a second vehicle blocked the car’s path, and unidentified gunmen stepped out and opened a barrage of fire on the trapped vehicle.

Hit by gunfire, Kafi and Wilson fled the car but collapsed a short distance away, succumbing to their wounds at the scene. Cain-Kafi was struck four times in the back, and the toddler was also fatally hit. Despite her own critical injuries, Cain-Kafi refused to release her grip on her injured son. A neighbor who rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshots drove the pair to Port of Spain General Hospital. Only after reaching the hospital’s emergency department did Cain-Kafi hand over her child, before immediately collapsing from her wounds. Tragically, medical staff confirmed Akinni was already dead upon arrival.

As of Wednesday night, Cain-Kafi remained in critical condition at the hospital. The attack marks a second devastating loss for Akil Kafi: police confirmed he lost another son from a previous relationship to gang-related violence in Belmont just one year prior.

Senior Trinidad and Tobago Police Service officers, including Acting Assistant Commissioners Richard Smith and Suzette Martin, arrived at the crime scene within minutes to launch the investigation. Speaking to reporters at the scene, Smith expressed unreserved anger over the senseless killing of the toddler, calling the attack “quite ridiculous” and emphasizing that investigators would not treat the case lightly.

“This child would have turned three years in two weeks’ time,” Smith said. “What we are seeing here in this district, in the Port of Spain Division, is a series of homicides that we have been working on assiduously to bring these murders under control. Yes, we may not be omnipresent, but we have our patrols out on a 24/7 basis trying to keep the peace in these areas. We are quite concerned because it shows a blatant disregard for life and to the authorities, and we will do all that it takes to keep the country safe. We will go after all those who intend on committing these crimes and we continue to go after them, and let the chips fall where they may.”

Martin echoed Smith’s frustration, framing the rising violent crime rate as a national issue rather than a problem solely for law enforcement to solve. She urged community members to step forward with information about the attackers, emphasizing that police are available around the clock to accept tips, and warned against residents taking vigilante action.

“This is not just a police issue, this is a Trinidad and Tobago issue where people have to come together to make Trinidad and Tobago a safer place, so if you see something, say something,” Martin said. She also announced that the police service would ramp up targeted patrols across the Belmont area in response to the attack and a recent string of local homicides.

Local residents, who have grown increasingly weary of persistent violence in their neighborhood, shared their outrage and grief with reporters Wednesday. Multiple residents said many locals now avoid certain high-crime pockets of Belmont out of fear for their safety, and criticized community members who hold information about violent actors but refuse to cooperate with police.

“The innocent can’t even count to 1, 2, 3 as yet and they dead,” one local grocery worker said. “What are these young men fighting for? Are we not praying with them or counselling them because if my children are doing something wrong, I will tell them because at this stage, we really don’t know who is next. We should all feel that pain.”

Another long-time Belmont resident noted the neighborhood’s natural beauty and convenient location, but said young criminals have made the area unsafe for older residents, and that the silence of community members who know what is happening has enabled the violence.

“I know that people know what is taking place in their own homes and they are not speaking out, and now children are paying the price,” she said.

A friend of the Kafi-Cain family, who shared her grief on social media Wednesday, highlighted the years of struggle the couple went through to have their son. “My heart is completely shattered. To know the journey my friend travelled, the years of waiting and the miracle of finally having her son, only for it all to be stolen in a moment of senseless violence. A whole family gone. There are no words for this kind of pain. I am hurt. I am outraged and I am tired. How can we live like this? A father and a child wiped out on the side of the road like their lives meant nothing. FOR WHAT? When will the innocent stop paying the price? Our country is bleeding,” she wrote.

As of Wednesday night, the national murder toll for the current calendar year reached 130, underscoring the scale of the ongoing violent crime crisis facing the twin-island nation. No suspects have been arrested as of the latest updates, and police continue to appeal for public information to track down the gunmen responsible for the triple killing.

Just after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, an accidental rupture to a 30-inch booster transmission line operated by Trinidad’s Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) triggered cascading disruptions, snarling traffic on the Beetham Highway’s eastbound carriageway and cutting water service to more than a dozen communities across the Port of Spain region. The incident, which sent thousands of gallons of water gushing onto the busy roadway, forced motorists to navigate hazardous, flooded conditions, leading to a widespread traffic pile-up that backed up travel for hours. Amid the sweltering early morning heat, some local Beetham residents took advantage of the unexpected fountain of water, stepping into the flow to bathe and cool off. The rupture, later confirmed by Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, occurred when Ministry of Works and Infrastructure crews conducting routine drainage clearance work on the Beetham waterway accidentally struck the main with heavy equipment. “Earlier this morning the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure was doing some works on the Beetham as it relates to drainage and water course clearance. They inadvertently through one piece of equipment ruptured a main, this resulted in thousands of gallons of water being spilled and lost,” Padarath explained in an interview with the Express. Immediately after the incident, WASA activated full emergency response protocols, dispatching senior leadership including acting CEO Dain Maharaj and distribution manager Marvin Miguel to the Beetham Gardens site to assess damage and coordinate repair work. Crews quickly worked to isolate the line, accessing and operating control valves to de-water the affected pipeline, a critical safety step before permanent repairs could begin. All required repair materials were mobilized from WASA’s central storage facilities and en route to the job site within hours of the rupture being reported. The broken line is a critical feed connected to the El Socorro Booster Station, whose operations were fully suspended after the incident to reduce line pressure and facilitate safe repairs. As of Tuesday evening, WASA confirmed that repair work was advancing steadily, with a target completion deadline of noon on Wednesday. The outage has forced water service disruptions across a wide swath of the greater Port of Spain area, including Knaggs Hill, Picton II Reservoir, Black River, Barataria, Laventille, Port of Spain, Morvant, East Dry River, St Barbs, Gonzales, Long Circular, Dundonald Hill, Dibe, Woodbrook, St James, Cocorite, Belmont, Cascade, and St Ann’s. Disruptions have also been reported along Boundary Road and Boundary Road Extension, Aranjuez Main Road, El Socorro Road and Don Miguel Road due to the shutdown of the El Socorro High Lift Station. Local lawmaker Kareem Marcelle, Member of Parliament for Laventille West, confirmed that while only a small number of homes were affected by flooding from the gushing water, no residents required emergency relocation. However, one wooden residential structure suffered significant flood damage that destroyed all of the occupants’ personal belongings. Marcelle announced that the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation’s Disaster Management Unit would deploy teams Wednesday to provide direct assistance to impacted households. Responding to the incident, Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John confirmed that her ministry would work in full collaboration with WASA to complete repairs and address related drainage issues. The ministry is also responsible for ongoing desilting work on the major Beetham drain, which outfalls directly into the Caribbean Sea and is prone to flooding near the local market. “If it is a WASA leak we are there to help with the repair,” John stated. Marcelle struck a conciliatory tone regarding the accidental incident, noting that human error is unavoidable even for the most careful teams. “We understand that mistakes do happen, even the most prudent man is prone to mistakes, and therefore we will continue to support them in their efforts to continue cleaning up our community,” he said, commending public workers and contracted crews for their rapid response to the emergency. Padarath, who has received hourly updates from WASA’s leadership throughout the response effort, said he recognized public concern over the large volume of water lost in the incident, which was widely documented in viral social media videos shared by onlookers. The minister said he expects full water service to be fully restored to all impacted areas by Wednesday morning at the latest.