“It was an execution.”

Declaring this yesterday as they stood together at the corner of Chacon Street and Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, where their sons and grandson died in a police-involved shooting last Saturday, Nicole Richards, Lucky Joseph and Michelle John lamented the loss of these innocent young men, whom they described as “full of potential.”

Staring at the place where the car they were driving had ploughed into Republic Bank Limited around 3.20 am on last Saturday, the three women described the myriad of emotions they continued to experience, which ranged from emptiness to sadness, to untold grief, anger and resignation.

The autopsies on the three showed they were all shot from behind - in the back, to the back of the head and even buttocks.
Lucky Joseph whispered, “My whole inside empty. I weak…this is a very, very, very, very hard loss.”

Denying Leonardo Williams, 21, of Beetham Gardens, was involved in criminal activities, Joseph stressed, “Knowing the type of person my son was, he was never involved in no crime, I sure of that.”

She claimed, “He don’t smoke. He don’t drink. He don’t gamble.”

Joseph said her son was an aspiring entrepreneur who had just applied to attend the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC).

Hugged by her other son Keemo Joseph as she spoke to reporters, Joseph said the three had been returning from a birthday party in west Trinidad when the tragedy occurred.
An autopsy on Williams found he sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the back; right buttock and right forearm.

Standing still as she stared at the candles and offerings placed at the spot yesterday, Nicole Richards had to be physically supported as she almost dropped to her knees in grief.

Holding her stomach, she cried crying, “They kill my son…I cyar make…I cyar make…”

Richards had to be consoled and was urged to gather herself.

Wiping tears from her cheeks, Richards maintained claims that her son, Fabien Richards, 22, of St Barb’s, was innocent.
The autopsy on Richards found he sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the back of the head, the back of the neck and upper per limb (part of the body including shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist and hand).

The autopsy on Isaiah Roberts revealed he sustained multiple gunshot injuries to the back of the head and right lower back.

Noting the findings of the three autopsies, Richards said, “They didn’t kill them. To me, they murder them. They execute these children. These children are innocent. These children are babies.”
Declaring Richards had only now started enjoying his life, she said he was raised in a Christian home where he lived his life according to the Bible.

Endorsing these sentiments, Michelle John, the grandmother of Isaiah Roberts, 17, also of St Barb’s, said, “They don’t be outside late at all.”
She recalled others laughing at Roberts whenever she cautioned him about being outside after 8 pm.

Commenting on the release of the survivors who were not charged with any offence, Richards’s mother, Nicole, said, “They are innocent children. The most they will find on these children and them is money and they phones. Anything illegal, you wouldn’t find it on them.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the TTPS claimed that a Smith and Wesson pistol had been found in the vehicle—a claim all three women yesterday vehemently denied.

Richards argued, “Nothing wasn’t found. They placed that there and I saw a video where the woman was saying aye, look they putting a gun dey…”

Both John and Joseph backed this claim up, as they too questioned why the survivors had been allowed to go free if a weapon had been found in the vehicle.
Complaints have been submitted to the Police Complaints Authority by all three families.

Meanwhile, the women are also begging the authorities to make sure the boys’ possessions are turned over to the families.