Months after two attempted arson attacks on his home, gambler Ricky Loach was killed outside a casino on Wednesday night.
Loach left V’s Members Club, Union Hall, near San Fernando, around 11 p.m. on Wednesday and entered his vehicle, a Toyota Axio, which was in the car park.
A man exited the back seat of a white Nissan Tiida car which was also on the compound, walked up to Loach and shot him several times.
The shooter then drove off in the Tiida.
Loach died at the scene.
At his South Oropouche home yesterday, relatives said they did not know Loach to have any enemies.
They said there was an attempt earlier this year to burn the upper portion of his house, which was unoccupied.
Another attempt was made a month later, in February, to the downstairs part of the residence where Loach lived.
“They light up the room, they throw it through the window,” a relative said.
These incidents led to Loach vacating the house.
Loach, 58, reported both incidents to the police, but he told family members he did not know who would want to burn down his home.
“I asked him if he had any enemies and he said no. We really have no idea what happened,” said another relative.
She suspected that given the timing of the attempted firebombing and Loach’s death, the incidents could be linked.
Loach was unmarried and had no children.
The relative said she did not know where he lived after he moved out of the house.
She said the last time she spoke with him about a month ago, he was in good spirits.
She said: “The only problem, he used to gamble.”
Loach was described as a professional gambler by the police.
The relative said he also provided transportation services for workers at the casino.
A motive is yet to be determined for Loach’s murder.
Acting Snr Supt Dhillpual, Sgt Smith and PC Sewdath of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region Three were on the scene of Wednesday’s murder.
Cpl Jaggesar is investigating.
The murder toll for the year so far stood at 341 up to last night.
The toll at the same time in 2023 was 329.