There was mayhem in Belmont yesterday at St Francois Girls’ College, as students had to take cover in their classrooms and other areas of the compound, after gang violence erupted at Serraneau Road, just metres from the school.
The incident left two men injured following a drive-by attack, while the police later detained two suspects who had attempted to hide in a drain near the school to wait out officers who were searching for them.
By that time, the principal had already dismissed school earlier so parents/guardians could pick up the traumatised children.
According to police reports, at 11 am, two men in a Nissan Tiida and armed with high-powered weapons ambushed and shot Curtis John, 50, a self-employed labourer, and Tafawa Roberts, 24, along Serraneau Road, Belmont.
John was in stable condition while Tafawa Roberts was in critical condition at hospital last evening.
The shooting was heard on the school compound and the student, who was given permission by her parents to speak to the media, shared the ordeal firsthand.
“My classroom is located on the left side area of the school, where we could see straight into the yard, which is right next to our school. We saw police officers searching the area, presumably looking for the people involved in the shooting earlier. While this was happening, it was lunchtime, so everyone was outside. Our principal made an announcement instructing everyone to return to their home classrooms. It was a shock because not everyone immediately understood what was going on,” she said.
She added, “We took the tables and chairs to block the doors, and we moved the lockers to the back of the classroom to create a barricade, covering the windows just in case anything happened, since no one knew where the gunmen were. After a while, they locked the gates to secure the classrooms, and everyone was told to stay on the ground for safety.”
Parents and guardians also confirmed that their children were told to hide under their desks during the safety drill.
The student said while she was still waiting for her parents to come pick her up after the early dismissal, the suspects were found in the drain by police.
Police said after their attack on John and Roberts, the suspects’ escape attempt was cut short when their car crashed nearby. A manhunt ensued involving officers from the Inter-Agency Task Force and Belmont police.
After a four-hour search, the suspects were found hiding in a drain near the school. One suspect was shot by police and rushed to the hospital, while the other was detained along the St Francois Valley Road.
Police believe one of the suspects was also shot by his accomplice, and it was alleged the two men even attempted to change clothes to evade capture. They also denied reports which suggested the suspects entered the school compound.
Speaking to Guardian Media following the incident, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly was glad the students were not affected.
“Thank God, the situation was contained outside of the school by the TTPS. We also thank them for their interaction with, and guidance of the staff and students, to ensure that they were not exposed to danger.”
However, she said it was extremely traumatic when our nation’s school children witness violence, especially gun violence.
“The staff of the School Support Services Division will assist in the recovery of the students who would have witnessed the capture of the offenders this afternoon in Belmont,” Gadsby-Dolly said.
Also contacted yesterday, TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin condemned the actions of the criminals, expressing serious concern over the growing violence near schools.
“TUTTA takes the opportunity at this time to reiterate our concerns regarding violence, especially gun violence, which is openly perpetrated outside of our schools. We look forward to a whole society and a whole governmental approach to dealing with violence and indiscipline in Trinidad and Tobago. The sanctity of our nation’s schools is being breached and eroded on a regular basis,” Lum Kin said
This was the second violent incident near a school within days, following a shooting on Wednesday at a preschool that left a four-year-old child injured and two people dead.
National Parents Teachers Association (NPTA) president Walter Stewart also condemned the situation, expressing his frustration with the ongoing violence near schools.
He called on authorities to take immediate action and “get their act together” in addressing crime, emphasising the need for stronger security measures to protect students and staff.
“Schools are considered to be places of extreme significance, almost holy ground. It is unthinkable that such acts of violence and criminal activity are happening right on the doorsteps of our schools and learning institutions,” he said.
“We must consider the trauma, the after effects and the impact of such crimes on our students, teachers and educators, who now have to live with this for the rest of their lives. Students are actually witnessing dead bodies right in front of them as a result of murder and crime, and this is totally abhorrent.”
Stewart stressed that the safety of children should be a top priority and called for more effective crime prevention efforts in communities across the country.