An NC Gun Blog: Meanwhile in Martin Joseph* Paradise

Trinidad is an island paradise with restrictive gun control, so why did this happen?

FOUR murders between Friday night and yesterday morning are engaging the attention of homicide detectives.

…

In the first incident, Ishmael St Price, police said, arrived at his Rajpaul Street, Enterprise, home after work and discovered his wife, Gail St Price, in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.

The woman's throat, police said, had been slit by assailants sometime during the day.

…

Shortly after midnight, residents of Motley Trace, Pinto Road, heard several gunshots and later discovered a small wooden shack, occupied by Kelly, on fire.

A report was made to the police and officers at the Arima Fire Station who responded to the incident.

By the time fire officers got to the scene, the house was destroyed.

Kelly's bullet-riddled and burnt corpse was discovered in the ruins.

Officers said Kelly was known to be involved in criminal activities.

His killing, police said, has been classified as gang-related.

…

In a brazen attack in Port of Spain, Douglas was shot more than nine times about the body and two other men wounded near a burger cart at the corner of Henry Street and Independence Square.

…

In the last incident which occurred around 5.55 a.m., residents of Vallot Street, Boissierre Village, Maraval, discovered Lowar's body lying in a drain in an area known as a drug den.

The police were notified and a team of officers from the Region I Homicide Bureau and the St Clair CID led by Sgts Rajesh Gokool and Sean Dhilpaul went to the scene where they started enquiries.

Lowar's body, police said, had a gaping wound to the head and officers are working on the theory that Lowar was beaten on the head with a blunt object.

So we have two “Gun Deaths” and two actual deaths from gunfire on an island with extremely strict gun control laws. The laws of Trinidad and Tobago allow a the revocation of the difficult to get Firearms User License (PDF warning)

21. The Commissioner of Police may revoke any licence, certificate or permit—

(a) if, in the case of the holder of a Firearm Dealer’s Licence or a Gunsmith’s Licence, he is convicted of an offence against this Act or of an offence against the Customs Act;

(b) if he is satisfied that the holder thereof is of intemperate habits or of unsound mind, or is otherwise unfit to be entrusted with such a firearm or ammunition as may be mentioned in the licence, certificate or permit;

(c) for non-payment of fees;

(d) in any other case, if he thinks fit.

So basically they have no rights. If the Commish says “give me your license,” you have to hand it over.

Trinidad is an island, so it should be easy to secure against smuggling. So why did these people get murdered?

* Martin Joseph was the Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago from Nov 2003-May 2010.

At the post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall on Thursday, National Security Minister Martin Joseph said Government will bring new gun control legislation in an attempt to curb the escalating murder rate.

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