Father murdered, son survives in school shooting

While police investigate the shooting, students and teachers at the school will receive counselling, education officials say.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Wednesday June 15, 2011 – A man was killed and his son critically injured yesterday afternoon when two men opened fire on their vehicle outside the Diego Martin North Secondary School.

The gunmen, dressed in school uniforms, approached the car around 2:30 p.m. and began shooting at Dexter Gillard, 40, and Raheem Gillard, 14, just after the boy got into the car.

According to police they were sitting in the car, waiting for two of the boy’s friends who were to get a ride with them, when the gunfire erupted.

Screaming students, other parents and pedestrians on the street were sent scampering for cover but the father and son, who tried to get out of the car and run to safety, were unable to escape the barrage of bullets.

When the shooting stopped, the two lay in pools of blood outside the vehicle.

They were taken to the hospital where Gillard died. His son, who was shot in the abdomen and legs, remains in critical condition in hospital after undergoing surgery.

Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Anti-Crime Operations, Mervyn Richardson, told the Trinidad Express newspaper that police were following several leads and hoped to make arrests soon.

"Names (of suspects) have been called and we are following some leads, but I cannot divulge that at this times because of the sensitivity of the information at this time, but we have positive leads and we hope to bring this to some resolution at the quickest possible time," he told the media house.

While police investigate the shooting, students and teachers at the school will receive counselling, education officials say.

Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)