Some years ago, a now deceased community activist of Laventille, when asked by a foreign journalist about what is taking place in East Puerto de España.
He Liken the gang warfare to a house, where the bedroom is at war with the kitchen. Simply put Laventille is the house and for example John John is the bedroom while Canada is the kitchen.
Two areas, approximately 100 feet apart from each other.
How is this possible?
2005 was just a scratch on the surface so to speak.
Unable to deal with this all out warfare by themselves, the Police had already teamed up with the Regiment of La Trinity. No amount of anti crime operations had seemed to work.
My reason for this statement is; while these said operations were taking place in one area, right next door in another area about 200 feet away bodies would be still falling and the perpetrator would escape without being caught immediately.
He would then go on to commit more murders, until he himself meets the same faith or he is finally arrested.
The war for turf, drugs, money, women and bragging rights was out of control. The ages of the "hitmen or shootas" as they were now known were as young as ten years old.
Life to them had no value any more. These children will pull the trigger for a pair of nike sneakers.
Not knowing they were just pawns in a a game that had much bigger players.
What also started to happen, was that "hitmen/shootas" were now being recruited from outside of east Puerto De España area. These new recruits came mainly from the western part of La Trinity forging alliances with the "dons" of Laventille.
There are two reasons known by me for this immigration, one was the fact that these foreign " shootas" were virtually strangers who no one knew and two the original "shootas" were either state property or dead.
By 2006 if the average male in Laventille lived past twenty five he was considered old.
Male Children under twelve years old, were not spared from both behind the trigger or in front the nozzle of the gun.
These monsters just couldn't stop the war, there was the new craze with Dan Kelly waring with Picton, John John and Beetham were waring to name a few.
The Eastern Main Road was now a warzone after 12 am, with John John men hiding behind the pillars that holds up the over pass with AK47's, and would fire into the Beetham Gardens or at known taxis or any vehicle or persons entering or exiting from the Beetham. And visa versa.
The whole area was bitten by the war bug.
YOU ARE READING
We Grow Up With No Fadda
Non-FictionA generation of young men lost to violence Puerto De España . Due to crime and corruption a whole race is growing up fatherless. In small country, the percentage of African decent males. Who have died and are still dying daily to street violence...
