Carnival celebrations in St. James, Trinidad and Tobago, took a tragic turn on Tuesday when a shooting left one man dead and four others injured, including a U.S. citizen.
The incident occurred despite heightened security measures under an ongoing State of Emergency (SOE) imposed to curb rising crime and violence across the nation. The SOE was first enforced at the end of December 2024 and extended for three months in January 2025.
The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Irvin Joaquin Mayora, a Venezuelan national, according to the Trinidad Express. The injured include a 66-year-old man from Diego Martin, who was shot twice in the right leg; a 25-year-old man from St James, who was shot in the head and remains in serious condition at the Port of Spain General Hospital; a 29-year-old woman from Maraval, who was shot in her right hand and knee; and a 65-year-old woman from Maryland, USA, who was grazed on her left leg and has since been discharged.
The incident unfolded around 5 p.m. near Vidale Street and Western Main Road, outside the St James Market. According to police reports, a 61-year-old man from Carapichaima claimed he was attacked while walking along the Western Main Road. In response, he drew a firearm and, fearing for his life, opened fire. The gunfire, however, struck four bystanders amid the chaos, leaving Mayora dead at the scene. The suspect did not flee and was detained by security personnel until officers, led by Sergeant Hunte, arrived. Police took the man into custody and confiscated his firearm.
The shooting occurred just hours after Acting Police Commissioner Junior Benjamin praised the safe execution of this year’s festivities during a ‘confidence walk’ in Port of Spain.
The celebrations were already under scrutiny, with Trinidad’s Leader of the Opposition, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, having issued a pre-Carnival statement urging authorities to maintain a strong police presence due to the nation’s escalating crime wave. “This year’s Carnival season is also occurring amid a State of Emergency, due to the unprecedented, uncontrollable crime and violence wave that has besieged our nation for years,” Persad-Bissessar had stated, calling for heightened security at all major events.
In response to the shooting, police swiftly locked down further festivities in St James, effectively ending the celebrations early. A motive for the attack has yet to be determined, and the murder count for the year in Trinidad and Tobago stood at 63 as of Tuesday night.
