A romantic drive with his common-law-wife of over nine years ended tragically for Mahase Latchman, 28, as gunmen opened fire on his vehicle, shooting his wife and wounding him during the wee hours of yesterday morning.
Latchman, in a bid to escape from the gunfire, sped off.
Realising that his spouse and mother of two, Dhanmatie “Amanda” Bachan, 26, was bleeding heavily, Latchman drove straight to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mount Hope for medical help.
However, Bachan later died.
Wheeling in grief at his Chandy Lane home in El Socorro, Latchman said he was still in shock and trying to come to terms with what happened several hours before.
He said it was just after 1 am he was driving his silver grey 323 Mazda car east along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway near Courts Megastore behind a silver Audi car when its driver suddenly applied the brake.
Latchman said he had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the back of the Audi. That was when it all unfolded.
“When I slammed my brakes I pulled onto the middle lane of the highway and that is when the Audi pulled alongside me and opened fire.
One bullet went through the trunk of the car and the side, on Amanda’s side was shot up with bullets. That was when she was shot. I didn’t know at the time she was shot I just went down on the gas to speed off from the car,” Latchman said.
“It was only when I sped off I realised Amanda bleeding and I just drove straight to the hospital for help. I didn’t even realise that I was grazed on my right arm. I was trying to save myself and my wife,” he added.
Latchman told the T&T Guardian that he wish he knew why all this happened and added that he hoped the police would view footage from surveillance cameras along the highway in a bid to track down the car and make arrests.
Latchman said he and Amanda decided to leave their two children home— their six-year-old son and 14-month-old daughter, and go for a drive to Carenage.
“It was a normal thing for us to do. We went to lime and then we went to get something to eat and we lime again and were on our way home.
“In fact, I was driving slow because Amanda wasn’t feeling too well, she had a belly pain. Could imagine if I was driving hard, what would have happened? I would have rammed the Audi from behind but I feel whoever was driving wanted me to hit him in the back,” Latchman said.
Latchman described Amanda as a peaceful and hardworking woman.
He said he promised to now live for their two children, “I have to keep strong for them and work hard to take care of them. I live for them now.”
Officers of the San Juan Police Station are investigating. (Trinidad Guardian)
