The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

POLICE have launched an island-wide manhunt for the suspect responsible for the country’s latest murder, and not two suspects as initially reported, a senior police official said yesterday.

However, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander, acting officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit, said there were “no new developments” in their investigation into Wednesday’s shooting death of a man sitting in front of a home in the Montrose Avenue area.

That murder pushed the country’s homicide toll to 81, according to The Tribune’s records. The incident occurred on Carew Street, west of Montrose Avenue.

According to Chief Supt Fernander, around 10pm on Wednesday the deceased was sitting at the end of Carew Street west – a dead end street – with another man.

He said the men were approached from behind by a masked gunman, who fired several shots in the direction of the two men, who subsequently ran trying to evade the gunfire.

Chief Supt Fernander said the deceased was struck several times, eventually collapsing in front of a yard “just across the street”. The other man managed to get away without being struck by the gunfire, he said.

The Tribune understands that the deceased was rushed to hospital in a private vehicle, where he later died.

Police have not released the man’s identity, but residents of the area where the shooting occurred said that the victim went by the alias “Smokey” and is in his late 20s. The deceased is also a resident of that area.

Chief Supt Fernander said police did not know the motive of the shooting.

This year’s murder count has already outpaced the count for this time last year.

As of July 16, 2014, the country had recorded 65 murders.

Last week National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage announced the government had secured a $20m loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund crime-fighting programmes.