GREGORY MCBURNIE

Some Guanapo residents and relatives of the victims of Thursday’s massacre have reportedly fled the community in fear.

On Thursday morning, gunmen stormed the house and opened fire, killing siblings ten-year-old Faith Peterkin, Ariana, 14, Shane, 17, and Tiffany, 19. Five others, including two children, were wounded.

Newsday visited the community on Friday and was greeted by silence and locked doors.

The house in which the massacre occurred was uninhabited, and the yard was deserted apart from some livestock and two dogs.

The doors and windows of the surrounding houses were closed with curtains drawn.

One resident eventually spoke to the media, saying many of the people in nearby houses packed up their belongings and fled sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning.

Newsday asked her if she intended to join the exodus of persons leaving the community.

A passing farmer who heard the question shouted, “The whole neighbourhood done move out.”

Another remaining resident who has been in communication with the family dispelled rumours of a fifth member of the family dying.

Hospital sources say the children who survived the shooting underwent surgery last night and remain warded.There was no word on the whereabouts of the two surviving adults.

One relative denied social media claims that the massacre was retribution for a robbery committed by a family member.

Speaking with Newsday, she said none of the family members was involved in crime.

“Dat is not true, dem doh be in no gun ting…we does keep to ourselves, we don’t meddle.”

She also dismissed claims on social media that a certain male family member was involved in a gang.

“We never in no gang ting with nobody. You cud ask anybody, dem never used to be in no gang.”

The relative said the teenagers who were shot spent most of their time at school or playing in the yard with other children in the community. She added that the family was at a loss as to the motive behind the shooting.

“Dem children was love. I doh know who do it and why dey do it. And dey come in a house and only kill little children. Whoever do dis should pay daily for it. We have to be strong.”

The relative said the family hoped that the police could provide some justice.

Residents, however, have less faith in the police as they claim the police patrols have not been as regular as they had hoped.

After the incident, Senior Superintendent Kerwin Francis of the TTPS Northern Division said there would be an increased police and army presence in the area.

Speaking on TV6’s Beyond the Tape programme, he said, “These patrols will continue on an ongoing 24-hour basis until a level of normalcy is restored to the community.”

Residents say the police were camped out in the street Thursday night but left sometime on Friday morning Newsday arrived at the scene at 8:30 am on Friday, and there were no police vehicles on the street. Police returned around 12:30 pm and spent under 10 minutes in the area. When Newsday left at 1 pm, another marked police