Murder toll jumps to 37

Three more killings yesterday have pushed the murder toll for the year to 37. In one incident, Santa Cruz resident Clint Basset, 25, was shot around 6.15 am outside his girlfriend’s home at the corner Old St Joseph Road and McAllister Street, Laventille. He and his girlfriend had earlier attended a party at Simeon Road, Petit Valley, and he was outside her home waiting while she fetched some clothes. Basset’s girlfriend told police she heard several loud explosions and ran outside to see a man standing over his body, rifling through his pockets. She called the police and officers from the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Besson Street Police Station went to the scene.

Police said they believed that the motive for Basset’s murder was robbery. No arrests have yet been made. Another man was shot and killed near his Simeon Road, Petit Valley, home. Residents in the area said they heard several loud explosions at around 5.50 am. Upon investigation, Carmen Hypolite discovered the bullet-riddled body of her brother, Marvin, outside of their home. Hypolite was said to be known to the police. Officers from the Four Roads Police Station and Western Division CID are continuing investigations.