By Laurel V Williams
Copyright newsday
THE shooting death of Pleasantville father of two, Ken Wilkinson, over the weekend has left his family confused and heartbroken.
Wilkinson, 38, of Brassia Drive, Orchid Gardens, was gunned down shortly after 7 pm on September 27, after receiving a phone call and walking along the street.
Speaking at the family’s home on September 28, his aunt, Emelda Wilkinson, said as soon as he received the call, he rushed out of the house.
“I did not know where he went,” she said.
She said she was at home, and another male relative returned from work. They decided to leave together to go to a supermarket in San Fernando.
While the relative was reversing out of the driveway, a neighbour warned her not to pass on that side of the street because a body was on the ground.
She said she did not hear any gunshots and never imagined that the victim would have been her nephew.
Taking another route, she and the relative continued to the supermarket. However, while there, she received a call about the tragedy.
Hoping it was not true, she said she returned to confirm.
Trying to hold back tears, the aunt said Wilkinson, as far as relatives knew, had no known enemies.
He previously worked at Rising Star in La Romaine as a cook, but recently decided to leave the job.
Earlier that same day, he had expressed frustration, saying he would not tolerate disrespect or allow anyone to speak down to him.
“My nephew was planning to start his own business, to sell chow in San Fernando and Princes Town.
“He said he wanted to be his own boss. He said he did not want people to talk down to him. He wanted to set up something for his children’s future,” Emelda said.
He had already begun fixing a cart to sell the chow.
“His mother (Marilyn Wilkinson) fainted when she arrived at the scene. She is out of it,” the aunt added.
Speaking about crime nationwide, the grieving aunt said, “It is terrible, ridiculous, and sad.”
According to the police, around 7.15 pm, officers from the Southern Division Task Force were on mobile patrol and received a wireless transmission of a shooting in Pleasantville.
They responded and found a body with gunshot wounds in the roadway along Brassia Drive. No one was around at the time.
Among the first responders were PCs Arbuckle, Rambhajan and Mohammed and WPC Bhagwat.
Insp Mohammed, acting Sgt Johnson, and other officers from the Mon Repos Police Station and Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, also responded and gathered evidence.
DMO Dr Rajnarinesingh viewed the body and ordered that it be taken to the mortuary at the San Fernando General Hospital for safekeeping, pending an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.
Investigators have not yet established a motive.
Cpl Griffith is leading the investigation.
