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Police are now probing the circumstances surrounding the fatal shootings at the courts mega store, in San Juan Trinidad.

During the incident yesterday morning, two siblings were killed and three other people received gunshot wounds.

The two people shot and killed have been identified as Simeon and Sinaeya Lessey

The popular mega store is located off the Churchill Roosevelt highway. 

Up to last evening no one had been arrested.

Senior Superintendant Mervyn Edwards says, the siblings and the other three people were shot by an off duty officer, in the car park of the store.

He assured yesterday the matter would be probed.

It is said, thirty three year old Simeon Lessey tried to flee the scene after he was shot, but he collapsed.

His 35 year old sister Sinaeya Lessey died at the scene.

One of the wounded, Nathan Pierre was up to last evening warded at hospital.

The names of the other two have not been released.

All five people shot during the incident are from Trou Macaque, Laventille.

The Trinidad and Tobago police service is advising parents and guardians to exercise caution, to ensure the safety of their children during the Christmas season.

Senior superintendent in charge of the Port of Spain division Harripersad Ramnarine is telling parents, to make the necessary arrangements to ensure children are not left unsupervised at any time.

He also has some advice, for business owners during this holiday season.

Supt. Ramnarine tells proprietors who may choose to extend opening hours, to communicate with the police, especially those in Port of Spain.

Supt. Ramnarine assures the TTPS stands ready, to assist business operators should the need arise.

He was speaking during the weekly media briefing yesterday.

A man is hit by a motorcycle while crossing the priority bus route .

The vehicle was not being driven by the Chief Fire Officer Arnold Bristo, as previously reported.

A release from the fire service says, the motorcyclist hit a man and the chief fire office that was heading west on the priority bus route went to the pedestrians aid.

According to reports, the accident happened along the priority bus route in San Juan, close to the promenade.

The time given is 9:40am yesterday.

A statement from the fire service says, the male pedestrian was crossing at the intersection when he was hit.

The fire chief is said, to have stopped his vehicle and went to provide assistance to the victim.

The statement says, the fire chief ensured the accident victim was taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, a12-year-old boy is struck by a marked police vehicle.

Reports say, the minor was in the vicinity of the eastern main road, Tunapuna on Wednesday when he was struck.

The incident took place at around 12:30pm.

An account of the event says, the vehicle was attempting to turn into the Tunapuna police station compound from the main road.

At the same time, the boy was said to be speeding on his bike, heading west.

The vehicle and the bicycle collided, throwing the child off the bike and to the ground.  

He was taken for medical treatment and for his injuries.

Teachers and members of the Fire Service are given the assurance by the Minister of Finance that they will receive their back pay before Christmas.

Minister Colm Imbert gave this assurance yesterday, during the question for oral answer segment in the lower house.

He was responding the Member of Parliament for Barataria/San Juan Saddam Hosein.

He said, some sectors have already received the promised amount.

When further pressed by the opposition MP on how many persons under the bargaining units would not receive the back pay, Minister Imbert said, he is confident the announced deadline will be met for the most part.

In his October 06^th budget presentation minister Imbert indicated that back pay for public sector workers, will be paid out by Christmas 2023.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert confirms, the highly controversial property tax takes effect from January 1st, 2024.

In parliament yesterday, minister Imbert also announced adjustments to the regime including the annual deadline.

He said, people who have not yet received their valuation notices for residences will soon do so via TTPOST, adding that the government wanted certainty in implementing the tax.

When Mr. Imbert delivered the 2024 budget in the parliament in October, he had advised that the collection of property taxes will be effective in the financial year 2024.

Speaking yesterday on the finance bill 2023, minister Imbert noted that implementation of the property tax was just a couple weeks away.

He said clause (6) of the bill made adjustments, which will waive the revenues from property tax for 2023 and previous years.

The Tunapuna Piarco Regional Corporation makes good on its promise, to demolish the guard booth that was erected at Bamboo Number Two.

The structure deemed illegal was torn down just before 6 o’clock this morning.

It is reported that personnel from the corporation arrived on the scene with a backhoe, and demolished the structure.

Activist Ishan Ishmael was on hand to witness the demolition being torn down.

The police service was on hand to ensure the entire exercise was completed with out incident.

Residents had constructed the booth to assist in the fight against crime in their community.

Residents received a notice from the corporation warning that they had seven days within which to demolish the structure, or if not, the demolition will be carried out by the corporation itself.

This is because, the guard booth was constructed without the required approvals from the town and country planning division.

Government is said, to be actively engaged in repatriating nationals from conflict zones, like Syria.

Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds says, a task force has been established to make it happen.

The minister was responding to a question posed by, Senator Paul Richards in the upper house yesterday.

Minister Hinds also said, the task force has gathered information but he admitted to problems getting data, on persons from certain countries.

They were both speaking during the question for, oral answer session in the senate yesterday.

Government proclaims the remaining elements of the administration of justice indictable proceedings act. Which means there will be no more preliminary enquiries.

According to the judiciary, indictable cases will go straight to the high court.

The judiciary says, all indictable matters are to be filed on the judiciary’s new e-forms platform Swif, as it offers a safe and secure platform for completing and submitting court forms.

The statement notes that there will be a new case flow, introducing initial hearings and sufficiency hearings, which will be conducted by a master of the high court on or the next working day the case is filed.  

The judiciary explains that the master will issue a scheduling order with deadlines, for the key actions to be taken before a sufficiency hearing, to ensure the case is ready for the next stage of court proceedings.

Further the judiciary says, indictments will be filed before the start of the sufficiency hearing.

The framework, the judiciary says, provides for digital use and evidence must be uploaded to the management platform, case center, and presented digitally in court.

This, the judiciary says, reduces opportunity for delay in the court process in instances when physical evidence is not readily available and makes its presentation more secure and clearer.