Two killings in Arima and Diego Martin have pushed Trinidad and Tobago’s murder toll for 2026 to 100.
The first incident occurred around 4pm on Friday in the Maturita Trace Extension, Arima, where 50-year-old Joel Plaza of Bypass Road was shot while unloading items outside his home. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds after residents reported hearing explosions. The assailants fled the scene in vehicles in an unknown direction. The motive remains unclear.
The second incident took place just after midnight on Saturday in River Estate, Diego Martin, near Dirk’s Mini Mart. A group of men who were liming in the area came under fire after armed men exited a white vehicle. During the attack, Mc Donald Bailey, 52, of Blue Basin Road, was shot multiple times and died at the scene. Two other men, Anthony Williams, 32, and Giles Ginnet, 54, were also injured. They were taken for medical treatment and are listed in stable condition.
The latest killings move the 2026 homicide toll from 98 on Friday to 100.
For comparison by April 10 last year, the country recorded 111 murders.
April’s total now stands at 10 killings, compared with 13 for the same period in the month last year.
