We have nothing to say – Trinidad Tribune

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FLASHBACK: Officers at the crime scene at the entrance to Roxann’s Learning and Childhood Center in Malick on Wednesday after the deadly shootout. – Photo by Faith Ayoung

The fear of crime is SO DEEPLY ingrained that almost no one was willing to say anything when Newsday returned to Upper Seventh Avenue, Malick, on September 26 – a day after a deadly shootout outside a kindergarten left two men dead and three others, including a prison sentence of four years. -old boy, tending to gunshot wounds.

Newsday’s first stop on Thursday was at Roxann’s Learning and Childhood Center, which was locked down while a marked police van was parked nearby.

The four police officers in the van said they were from the North Eastern Division and had been deployed to patrol the area. The officers also seemed tense; they were all holding MP5 rifles and constantly looking around while talking to this reporter.

The school’s principal, Roxann King, told police she was at the school on Basement Road, Upper Seventh Avenue, on September 25 when she heard a barrage of gunshots about 7:50 am. A man burst through the front door of the school and ran to the back before collapsing.

When the smoke cleared, 35-year-old Gerard “Bill” Calliste of Upper Seventh Avenue, Malick, was found dead in the front of the school. The man who ran into the school was later identified as 29-year-old Kemo Calliste, also of Upper Seventh Avenue. He was taken to hospital, but died during treatment.

Police said Koulen Joseph, 48-year-old Adina Jackson and her four-year-old grandson were all injured in the incident. Newsday was told that Jackson and her grandson have since undergone surgery and are in stable condition. Joseph is also reported in stable condition.

After speaking to police, Newsday took a walk around the area and asked residents’ opinions.

A man was approached who was sitting under a shed. “No, sorry, I can’t help you,” he said. “This is a crime scene. I have nothing to say. Read between the lines.”

Newsday continued down the street, where police reports indicate both deceased victims once lived. Newsday came across a group of six men who said they lived in the area.

“De borse, we don’t really have anything to say, you know,” one of the men said. Newsday asked if they could confirm that Gerard and Kemo Calliste lived nearby.

Ghost town: Roxann’s Learning and Childhood Center, the scene of Wednesday’s shootout that left two men dead and three others injured, was put on lockdown Thursday with a police van parked out front. – Photo by Faith Ayoung

“I feel like you understand English, you know,” the man said. “No disrespect, and don’t take it the wrong way, but we have nothing to say.”

The owner of a parlor agreed to speak, but strictly on condition of anonymity. She said she had been selling in the area for about five years and in all that time she had never felt safe.

“Me, I’m not leaving my store,” she said. “We here are used to hearing gunshots. When the shots start, I duck down and wait for it to be over. I shift my body as the shots ring out and hope for the best. A few weeks ago a man was shot not far from here. I was sitting right there. Yesterday I was there again,” she said.

“But I saw nothing, I didn’t look outside, I bowed my head and dived down.”

The tension was palpable as people walked quickly along Basement Road.

While the kindergarten was closed on Thursday, several shops were open. However, few people were coming in or out of these stores when Newsday called.

Suspicious residents peeked out from behind window curtains and quickly retreated to their homes when Newsday called for an interview. When taxis arrived, people quickly entered and the cars drove away. Likewise, people who got out of these taxis did so quickly and walked away just as quickly.

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A taxi driver complained about the state of crime and gang wars in the country.

“This numbers thing, it’s killing people,” the taxi driver said. “Is just a set of six and seven and seven and eight,” he added, referring to the names of certain criminal gangs.

Newsday returned to the preschool and was able to speak with owner Roxann King, who said this was the first time such violence had occurred at her school.

“This school has been here at this location for almost 40 years. I have been going to this location for the past 27 years. Nothing like this has ever happened before,” she said. “It was just a case of random shooting.”

She said the school is at the intersection of Sixth and Upper Seventh Avenues and is usually busy around that time.

‘You can have people and cars passing as thick as the main road because that road connects to Barataria and the Lady Young. So there were always people coming over, high school kids going to school, elementary school kids going to school. There were people walking on the road. I just thank God. It could have been so much worse.”

King said she is unsure if the school will reopen or not. She told Newsday she is still trying to get her bearings.

“Yesterday was absolutely horrible, but today was the moment that really broke me,” she said. “After this, I’m not sure what the next step is. I’m just trying to find my feet. I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”