Bullets meant for dad, hits daughter, 12

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

– File photo

A 12-year-old girl was shot on Wednesday night in Cascade Crescent, Bagatelle Road, Diego Martin in an incident which, according to police, a gunman came for the child’s father.

Police said that at around 8.10 pm on June 5, the Standard Five student was with her 39-year-old father who was driving into the yard of their home when he observed a suspect approaching their vehicle.

He then saw the man holding a gun and several gunshots were heard.

The man, fearful for their lives, sped off but soon realised that his daughter was bleeding from gunshot wounds. When the man was driving along the Diego Martin Highway he had to stop after one of the car’s tyres blew out.

He contacted the E999 and officers from Carenage and Four Roads police stations responded.

Police took the victim and her father to the St James Medical Complex where she was examined and stabilised.

The doctors told police the child was shot in her right shoulder and two bullet fragments remained lodged in her body.

After being stabilised, she was transferred to the Paediatric Hospital at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where she remains warded in critical condition.

Investigators recovered 12 spent 9mm shells at the scene. Up to press time no arrest was made and Western Division detectives are continuing investigations.