Murder count continues to climb

Two more murders in Trinidad late last week pushed the country's murder toll to 348.

This is now nine short of last year's tally given by the police as 357.

Trinidadian police identified the latest victims as Anthony Collymore, 35, of Wood Alley and 29-year-old Quasi Towine, of Hamlet Street, Laventille.

Reports out of Trinidad say Towine stopped a taxi on the Eastern Main Road in Laventille.

On getting into the car he was approached by a gunman who shot him several times in the chest and head before running off.

Less than two hours after Towine was shot, Collymore was killed while siting with friends outside a basketball court in Never Dirty, Morvant.

Police said around 11 p.m., Collymore was with his brothers Leon and Raymond Hinds when a heavily-tinted motor car pulled in front of them.

The front-seat passenger began shooting at the group.

Collymore was shot several times while the brothers escaped.

The reports say both Collymore and Towine are well known to police and their killings have been labelled gang-related.