Michael Julian Hamilton, 22, of Lot 128 Sparendaam Housing Scheme was yesterday afternoon gunned down by a man who residents of the area said is part of a four-man gang that has been terrorizing Hamilton and his cousin for some time now.
The man was shot once in the foot and received another bullet in close proximity to the heart.

The shooter has been identified as Oswald who dwells between Plaisance and Better Hope. This publication was informed that yesterday afternoon Hamilton left his home to visit an aunt and seconds after exiting his yard gunshots were heard.

The man’s uncle, Raphael Hamilton, told the media that the incidents all stemmed from an encounter his son had with a female companion of one of the gang members. The man said that his now dead nephew had no issues with the gang members, but would usually lime with his cousin who recently became a target for the gang.
The senior Hamilton said that at one time his son had sex with the girlfriend of one of the gang members, and that is where the trouble started.
The man said that his son and nephew lived like prisoners in their own village and were not free to walk the streets since the gang was always on the lookout for them. It seemed that last night was one such night and which led to Hamilton’s death.
The uncle of the dead man said that the first shooting incident was directed at his son, while the next episode saw the same man who shot up house the first time returning and doing it again.
The third episode saw the now dead man being hit in the buttocks sometime back, but he managed to survive that attack, with doctors telling the relatives that the bullet missed the young man’s scrotum by inches, and he could have lost his life.
The final shooting was carried out last night and that resulted in the death of the mason who also worked as a carpenter. His cousin, who is also of interest to the gang, was not at home at the time of the shooting.
Persons in the area said that the men who form the gang are known to the entire village and Plaisance community. They told the media that the men would usually lime in the village, mostly at night.
The media was told by the family of the dead man who are now fearful for their lives that all incidents relating to the shooting and the fact that the young men felt threatened by the members of the gang whose names were given to the police at Sparendaam Police Station, but were never acted upon.
They said that whenever the reports were made to the police at that station, they would make all sorts of excuses as to why they could not go after the men. The mother of the dead man, who gave her name as Karen, told this newspaper that at one time policemen approached her son with a strange offer.
She said that her son related to her that the police told him that they heard that there was a dance in the community and that they needed his assistance to identify some wanted men.
The woman related that her son told her the police were offering him a bulletproof vest and a gun to accompany them to the area, since it was at the back of the community and he was going to assist them in getting the men they were looking for.
She said that when the young man told her of the intentions of the police and their offer, she immediately instructed him to inform the police that he will do no such thing. She reportedly went to the station and it was there that one of the police ranks told her that “we gon bring you son out da same village in a body bag”
Incidentally when the woman’s son was shot yesterday and rushed to the hospital, the very police officer who had made that threat to the family was present. That angered the mother of the dead man who began lacing the police officer with profanities and belted out all the reports that the police failed to act upon.
She pointed to a report as recent as Saturday night when the police at Sparendaam were informed about the said gang and their torment of her son and her nephew. Her outburst forced the police to put his hand on his weapon, but he was cautioned by persons at the hospital since he appeared to be very agitated.
The members of the gang have been identified as Trini, Rawle Franklin and Oswald, and the other gang member’s name could not be remembered by the family.
The characters are said to be known to the police at Sparendaam, but for some reason the police have been making it appear as if the men are untouchable.
Following the shooting last evening and the family’s mourning, about five ranks went to their home, where family members were too distraught to speak to them. The cops then said they had no time to waste and left.
The man who is reported to have shot Hamilton is said to have robbed another member of the family who give his name as Samuel Miller. Miller said that the man had robbed him of a gold chain worth $80,000. Miller approached the man’s grandmother and informed her of the consequences to be faced if the man did not return his jewellery.
He said that the man’s grandmother subsequently paid him for it, through the Turkeyen Police Station. The shooter is said to be in his early 20’s, according to persons in the area.
Relatives said that the shooting occurred just after 17:00hrs. However, when contacted at 18:45 hrs, the police ranks at Sparendaam did not inform their divisional commander of the shooting, even though one of the ranks from that station was at the Georgetown Public Hospital with the relatives last evening.