Trinidad Newsday (Sep 13) and Guardian are reporting that an Indian female Guyanese was shot dead in Penal, Trinidad and her common-law-husband who was also shot are fighting for his life. Police are looking for two men of Hispanic descent who were seen leaving the incident of the crime. Residents said they heard the gunshots.
The report says that Padminie Seema Lilman, a Guyanese, and Rajesh Bridgelal, nationality unknown, were hit on Tuesday morning on Penal Rock Road. Bridgelal was critically wounded and is fighting for his life at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Robbery is a possible motive for the homicide though it could also be “a hit”. The victims were seen leaving a casino bar where they played the machines and won some money.
The couple were shot a short distance away from their rented home at around 1:30 AM. A report stated that occupants of a white Nissan AD Wagon rammed head-on into their dark green Mazda 323. Two men came out of the Wagon and opened fire on the Mazda. The two assailants then jumped into a waiting silver-coloured Note and drove off. The wagon had a false registration.
The Newsday report quoted an eyewitness as saying that he heard the shots and looked on the roadway observing two men of Hispanic descent enter the waiting Note which drove off.
There has been an upsurge of murders and other violent crimes in Trinidad including in Penal, a former estate of indentured Indian laborers. Investigations are ongoing into this crime.