Cleaner shot dead at East Side Plaza mall in Port-of-Spain
A mall cleaner was shot dead by two gunmen at East Side Plaza, Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, pushing the two-week murder toll past 25.
Gunmen kill mall cleaner at East Side Plaza, Port-of-Spain
A man employed as a cleaner at East Side Plaza on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, was shot dead around 3.40 pm on Wednesday, leaving store owners shaken and forcing the immediate closure of the facility, guardian.co.tt reports.
The victim, identified only as "Kwando," had worked at the mall for three years and was originally from Chaguanas. Witnesses said he stepped out of the kitchen into an open corridor after receiving a phone call, where two gunmen were waiting. He collapsed after being shot; the assailants fled on foot in the direction of George Street.
When Guardian Media visited the scene, several mall operators were seen hurriedly packing their belongings. Members of the public who had been inside the mall when the metal shutters came down were guided by police to exit through a side entrance along Charlotte Street. His mother and sister later arrived to identify his body. An official at the mall described Kwando as easy-going and not known to be in conflict with anyone.
Police defend record amid rising two-week toll
The killing pushed the two-week murder toll past 25. Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin urged the public not to judge the T&T Police Service (TTPS) solely on the basis of that spike.
"We have done the groundwork, and it is important that we don't just take two weeks of intense confrontation by persons who seek to oppose justice to brand the country as having an extremely bad period," Benjamin said.
He noted that the national murder toll stands at 299 for the year, with October 2025 recording 28 homicides — one more than October 2024's 27. Even so, that figure remains well below the 501 murders recorded during the same period last year.
"The murder toll has remained well downwards of last year's figure due only to the hard work of the police," Benjamin said.
He added that police are analysing crime trends and refining measures to address the recent uptick. "We will not be daunted and we will continue to do what we need to do to deal with the matter," he stated.
When asked whether a State of Emergency extension or a curfew was under consideration, Benjamin deferred to Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro, who could not be reached for comment.
Seasonal trends and public cooperation
Benjamin acknowledged that historical patterns point to an increase in murders after July each year. "We were already anticipating that there would be an increase, and we have so far been able to stymie that up-tick. So when up-ticks occur now, it is nothing shocking for us as we were expecting that," he said.
The acting Commissioner also called on members of the public to report illegal firearms and criminal activity to the TTPS, citing a 41 per cent decline in murders achieved so far this year. "The public's cooperation is crucial. We need to work together to make Trinidad and Tobago safer," Benjamin concluded.
Source: Google News TT — Port of Spain