Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
Firefighters responded to a house fire in Siparia on Saturday night that turned out to be a murder scene. The bullet-riddled body of 22-year-old Aries Archibald, an alleged firearm offender, was discovered partially inside a wardrobe in a small concrete structure at Sennon Village Extension, in an area known as Backayard.
A part of the structure was damaged by a fire that destroyed an adjacent wooden house. The circumstances surrounding the incident were not clear yesterday, but police responded to a house fire and loud explosions around 9:40 pm.
After firefighters from the Siparia Fire Station quelled the blaze, Archibald’s body was found in the wardrobe with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and chest. His feet were hanging out of the wardrobe.
Police said Archibald was on bail for several firearm-related offences and had been reporting to the Siparia Police Station every week as a condition of his bail.
Officers recovered seven .9 mm spent shells, one spent 5.56 mm shell, one live round of 5.56 mm ammunition and five projectiles. Police suspect his death may have been drug-related and an act of revenge.
Two weeks ago, 18-year-old Derrek St John was fatally shot by an assailant in a house in the neighbourhood. He was originally from La Brea, but he had been staying at that house. The incident happened on June 24.
Officers of the Homicide Bureau Region 3 are investigating.