By WENDY CAMPBELL, Newsday TT

A CORONER'S Inquest is likely to be held in the shooting-death of teenager Phillip Seerattan, who was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police Wednesday at the International School of Westmoorings. Sources told Newsday yesterday that the inquest is likely to be held to determine if there was any criminal liability.

Seerattan stole his father's 9mm pistol which was in his father's car and went to the International School, where he shot security officer William Ramnarine in the mouth and abdomen. He then ran to the computer room where he held a 14-year-old boy hostage. Police arrived on the scene and were met with gunfire. They returned fire and young Seerattan was killed.

A post mortem performed on Seerattan yesterday by pathologist Dr Hughvon desVignes revealed the 17-year-old died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple gunshot wounds. Sources said the teenager was shot several times on various parts of his body including the side of his head, arms and legs.

The autopsy, done at the Forensic Sciences Complex, was witnessed by Seerattan's father, Jadoonanan Seerattan, acting ASP Badal, Sgt Stephen Ramsubhag and PC Ricardo Montrichard of the Western Division. Sources said blood samples and exhibits were taken from Seerattan's body for further analysis.

Senior police officers said a team of crime scene and forensic investigators went back to the scene of the crime in Westmoorings yesterday and are to have discussions today with regard to all the statements taken from witnesses. Following the investigations, sources said the file will be sent with recommendations to Commissioner of Police, Hilton Guy.

The preliminary report of the incident is said to have reached the desk of Acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs, and sources said a document was sent to the Ministry of National Security and the National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee will be brought up to date.

"I expect to get a comprehensive report (today) on the matter and investigations are continuing," Snaggs said.

At the Forensic Science Complex, Seerattan's father refused to comment. Asked why his son did not like 'blacks', as was stated in a suicide letter, Jadoonanan said: "I couldn't answer that". He added that the police had all the information. But the police themselves have continued to put up a wall of secrecy around the investigations, saying in certain enquiries they need to be more careful than in others.

However, sources told Newsday that Seerattan was attacked by a group of men of African descent about two years ago, and subsequently developed a dislike for people of that ethnic group. At his former school, the St Augustine Community College, principal Aldrisan Mohammed and one of the directors Kelvin Cheeranjie described Seerattan as an average student who usually stayed by himself and had just a few friends.

They said Seerattan was taken from the school by his father about 18 months ago. They could not say why, but pointed out that he never had any major discipline problems. Mohammed and Cheeranjie also said they never knew he had problems with "blacks" at the school.

They added that more than 60 percent of the students at the Community College are of African descent. They said Seerattan spent three years at the school, after coming from the Dunross Primary School. During that time, he never spoke of any problems.

Seerattan suffered deep hurt and rejection

By NALINEE SEELAL

Psychiatrist Dr Dennis Warner, who is attached to the Casualty Department of the Sangre Grande Hospital, said yesterday that it would appear that Phillip Seerattan, the teenager who was shot dead by police on Wednesday after he attacked and shot a security guard, might have been suffering a deep sense of hurt and rejection.

Dr Warner added that this is all speculation but added that Seerattan may have felt a need to get even in a dramatic way, and must have had homicidal fatasies. "That is obviously very angry behaviour." said Dr Warner.

Dr Warner who has been a practising psychiatrist for the past 21 years said he could only speculate at this point in the absence of having interviewed people who knew Seerattan closely. He added that his comments are based purely on what he read in the newspapers.

Dr Warner said that based on media reports, where friends of Seerattan described him as a loner, indicated that his adjustment to early adulthood was not normal. He added that it is not normal for teenagers to be withdrawn. According to Dr Warner, the questions which come to mind is why Seerattan chose this time to carry out his homicidal fantasy. He said that the note left behind by the dead teenager indicates that his actions were premeditated.

He said that it would be wrong to say that there are others like Seerattan in Trinidad and Tobago, and the action on Wednesday was an isolated one.

Relatives of the dead teenager remained in shock yesterday and added that they never expected Seerattan to behave in such a violent manner which led to his death.

PM: Westmoorings shooting raises licenced guns issue

By RIA TAITT

Noting that it was a licenced firearm used in Wednesday's shooting incident at the International School, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday that the issue of the "custody and safe protection" of a firearm might well arise. Though, he added, the individual was 17 years old and therefore "quite an adult and ... understood what he or she was doing". Manning said it was a "very complicated issue" and he felt certain that it had its causes "not in any physical arrangement (relating to the availability of a firearm), but in psychological developments".

Seventeen-year-old Phillip Seerattan stole his father's pistol and shot a security guard at the International School in Westmoorings. Seerattan was later fatally shot by the police.

Manning was speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall. The Prime Minister said Acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs brought him up to date on what had taken place. He noted that the school was a private school and therefore accept responsibility for their own security. He added that he was sure that the school would review its security arrangements to see if there were any loopholes.

"On the face of it, it does not appear that there were (loopholes)", he stated.