标签： Trinidad and Tobago

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.

A violent public incident in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, has sparked widespread concern after a senior local political official was beaten by a group of high school students when he attempted to break up a street brawl on Monday afternoon.

Alderman Wayne Griffith, 62, who serves as chairman of the Port of Spain South constituency executive for the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), recalled the chaotic encounter in a detailed phone interview with local media. The attack unfolded around 2:30 p.m. on Dundonald Street, near the intersection with New Street, when Griffith was blocked by a crowd of students from Tranquillity Government Secondary School who had gathered in the middle of the roadway.

Upon stopping, Griffith noticed that more than a dozen teenagers were ganging up to beat a single younger boy. Griffith told reporters that one 15- to 16-year-old girl had the boy pinned in a chokehold, while the rest of the group rained down blows on him. Choosing to intervene, Griffith exited his vehicle, ordered the crowd to disperse, and pulled the girl away from the victim. What followed was a sudden, violent turn against the 62-year-old.

“Immediately, this young lady cuffed me straight in my mouth,” Griffith recalled. He attempted to step away from the confrontation, but the girl and other students continued to pursue him. Griffith tripped and fell to the ground, and the group immediately followed up with repeated punches and kicks to his head and body. A 36-second cellphone video of the assault, which has circulated widely across social media platforms, captures the female student punching Griffith, grabbing his shirt, and throwing him to the ground before other members of the group join in the attack.

Despite the sustained beating and intense pain, Griffith made the deliberate choice not to retaliate against the teenage attackers. “Although they did not act like children, I was cognisant they were children and youths,” he explained. “I took no action that could cause them harm.”

After the assault ended, Griffith slowly regained his composure and attempted to call police for help, only to discover that his cellphone and a watch, valued together at TT $7,000, had been stolen during the attack. With bystanders from nearby businesses only watching the ordeal, Griffith had to drag himself to the door of a local agency to get help.

Griffith detailed the extent of his injuries, which include deep lacerations across both knees, both elbows, and the palms of his hands, as well as severe damage to his left hamstring. While no bones were broken, he has suffered persistent severe headaches and underwent a CT scan to rule out internal brain damage, seeking treatment from a private medical provider. He added that he has no regrets over his decision to step in to stop the group attack on the younger student.

Local political leaders have publicly expressed their concern and support for Griffith following the attack. Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland praised the alderman for his remarkable restraint, noting that if Griffith had retaliated against the minors, he would have faced widespread public condemnation instead of support. “He’s an elder, a hard worker, a patriot,” Scotland said. “I want to commend him for his restraint and discipline.”

Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne confirmed the May 4 incident in a statement, noting that the Ministry of Education and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) are both currently investigating the attack. Walter Stewart, president of the National Parent-Teacher Association, extended condolences to Griffith over the violent encounter.

As of Tuesday, local media have been unable to secure comments from Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath and Crystal Ashe, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association, on the incident.

Systemic workplace abuse, including persistent bullying and sexual harassment, has been revealed as a pervasive problem for trainee participants in a national On-the-Job Training (OJT) program, with past efforts to bring dedicated mental health support ultimately collapsing, according to testimony given before a parliamentary committee addressing youth unemployment. OJT Director Joann David shared the details of the crisis during the seventh convening of the Committee on Social Services and Public Administration, held to examine rising youth unemployment and underemployment. The discussion of workplace mistreatment was triggered when committee member Sean Sobers pressed David on protections for female trainees, after noting in her written submission that women make up the majority of participants across all five OJT stipend pay brackets. David’s disclosure confirmed that over the three-year period a contracted in-house psychologist served the program, roughly 50 verified cases of workplace abuse were documented by program leadership. Currently, the program relies on placement and marketing officers to act as de facto human resources contacts for trainees, with each staff member managing between 200 and 250 trainees. During pre-placement orientation, all trainees are told these officers are their first point of contact if they experience issues at their host workplaces. David acknowledged that many trainees delay reporting out of fear of retaliation or professional repercussions, but said that once the program is notified via its frontline officers, formal intervention is initiated. In 2022, David, who took over leadership of the OJT program in 2019, pushed for the creation of the in-house psychologist role after observing widespread mental health struggles among trainees between 2019 and 2022. Beyond common workplace stress and anxiety, David said the most pervasive problematic issues uncovered were bullying and sexual harassment. Prior to adding the in-house role, trainees were referred to public mental health services run by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, but extensive wait times and backlogs left many without timely care. “We felt it was prudent to be able to have somebody on staff to be able to guide and provide that support system for the trainees while they were in the programme,” David explained. The role was launched as a pilot project to gather data on the scope of need to justify expanding the program’s mental health services, a point David emphasized in response to Sobers’ observation that one psychologist could not adequately address the volume of abuse cases. Though the pilot successfully collected data demonstrating clear demand for ongoing mental health support, the psychologist’s contract expired and was not renewed, leaving the program with no dedicated mental health support for trainees currently. David also fielded questions about two other gaps in trainee protection: access to the national Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and penalties for host employers found responsible for perpetrating or allowing harassment. She confirmed that OJT trainees are not eligible for EAP benefits, and called on the Ministry of Tertiary Education to step in to address this gap. When abusive conduct is confirmed, David added, the only current consequence for problematic host employers is that they are removed from the program as training providers, with no further regulatory or legal penalties pursued through the OJT program itself.

In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, a targeted ambush by masked gunmen left a young woman dead and her partner fighting for his life in a quiet Princes Town neighborhood, sending shockwaves through the local community and reigniting fears of violent crime. The fatal attack unfolded just 16 minutes after midnight, along Malgretoute Road, cutting short the life of 27-year-old Monifer Carrie, a resident of Beetham Gardens. Her traveling companion, 31-year-old Isaiah Cruickshank—who goes by the street name “Touchy” and lives in Princes Town’s Moonan Avenue neighborhood—sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed into emergency medical care.

According to official police accounts, the couple was traveling east in a white Nissan Sentra when their path was suddenly blocked by another white vehicle, a Nissan AD wagon, close to the intersection of Manahambre Branch Street. Two assailants, their identities hidden by masks, exited the blocking vehicle and unleashed a barrage of gunfire directly into the couple’s car before making a quick escape from the area.

Though struck multiple times by gunfire, Cruickshank managed to flee the immediate scene to get help before returning to the ambush site. It was one of Cruickshank’s relatives who eventually found Carrie lying on the roadside after the attack. First responders transported both victims to the Princes Town District Health Facility, where medical staff pronounced Carrie dead at 12:36 a.m., just 16 minutes after the shooting began. Cruickshank was subsequently transferred to the larger San Fernando General Hospital to receive more advanced care for his injuries.

When local media outlet Express visited the tight-knit community just hours after the violence, residents were still reeling from the terrifying incident, with many describing profound trauma from the attack. One resident told reporters they counted roughly 18 separate gunshots fired during the ambush. A local woman, who asked to remain unnamed, shared that she immediately pulled her children out of their beds and threw them to the floor of her home to shield them from stray bullets when the shooting started. “I heard the bang, and shots pelting. I saw flashes. The shooting was for a good while,” she recalled. “A bullet went through the house. I took my children and put them on the ground. I told them to duck their heads. I was real frightened. My daughter is traumatised.”

She went on to detail the chaotic sequence of events she witnessed from her home: after the first round of fire, the wounded Cruickshank drove a short distance before crashing into a wall near a local standpipe. One of the gunmen then moved behind the damaged vehicle and continued firing, before opening the car’s front door and shooting again—at which point she heard Carrie scream. Carrie fell from the vehicle onto the road, while the second gunman fled through a residential yard adjacent to a local shop, before family members arrived to retrieve the victim.

A relative of Cruickshank shared that the couple left their two-year-old son with Carrie’s family for the night, meaning the young child was not present during the attack. As local law enforcement launched a full investigation, led by teams from the Princes Town Criminal Investigations Department and the Region Three Homicide Bureau of Investigations, officials confirmed that the country’s national murder toll now stands at 127 for the year to date. That figure is slightly lower than the 135 recorded during the same period last year.