Cousins shot while liming on roadside

A casual conversation between two cousins ended in tragedy in Penal on Wednesday night when a gunman opened fire, killing both men.

The double homicide, which took place along Deokie Street, claimed the lives of Gerard Felix, 57, a water pump technician, and Mario De Leon, 45, owner of Millington Bar, Penal. Both men lived just houses apart along Deokie Street.

Felix’s relatives believe he was an innocent victim, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

According to police reports, Felix, a father of two, and De Leon were standing in front of De Leon’s house at 7.10 pm when a man wearing a hoodie approached them. The gunman fired multiple shots at the cousins before fleeing the scene.

Penal police responded to reports of the shooting and learned that relatives had already rushed Felix to the Siparia District Health Facility. When officers arrived at the scene, they found De Leon lying dead on the roadway, with multiple gunshot wounds. A District Medical Officer examined De Leon’s body and ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for an autopsy.

Crime scene investigators recovered 12 spent 9mm Luger shells from the scene.

Meanwhile, when Siparia police constables Bridgemohan and Maharaj visited the health facility, doctors informed them that Felix had succumbed to his injuries. His body was also sent to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy.

At Felix’s home yesterday, family members were in shock. His niece, Sherniece Felix, said the family was already grieving the loss of their matriarch, who had died just hours earlier. She revealed that Felix had been shot at least four times.

Sherniece explained that De Leon often stopped by to chat with Felix, as they lived nearby.

“Had Mario not called him out of his home to have whatever discussion or hang out, he would have been alive today,” she lamented.

According to her, a lone gunman had fired the shots before escaping. The street had been quiet until the incident, after which residents began gathering around the crime scene.

Sherniece described her uncle as a friendly man with no enemies, expressing disbelief at his untimely death. She suspected that De Leon was the intended target, based on rumours that he had become involved with the wrong crowd after being deported from the United States a few years ago.

“I can tell you, my uncle was a real good and decent man. The most he would do was lime and drink with his friends. He was well-known in Penal. Everyone knew him as the water pump guy. People would come here frequently to get their pumps repaired.”

She added that their part of Penal had been mostly quiet and free from serious crime—until now. Although she had anticipated that crime might eventually reach their neighbourhood, she said she never expected it to arrive so violently at their doorstep.

Sherniece expressed frustration with the rising crime in the country, calling it a failure. She stressed that her uncle did not deserve to die in such a way, as he was not involved in any criminal activity. She also expressed her doubts about whether the police would deliver justice, explaining that the crime problem stems from deeper issues, including economic factors. Furthermore, she called on the Government to address these root causes.

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