Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
The murder of taxi diver and mini-mart operator Christino Perreira on Wednesday night has been blamed on a recent misunderstanding.
Mourning the loss of the father of three yesterday, relatives of the 55-year-old Carapo, Arima resident, cried as they said, “He was always a good person.”
They lamented, “It is so sad he had to die like that.”
Perreira was shot multiple times in the head around 9.18 pm as he arrived home.
He was reportedly ambushed as he drove into the yard, and shot whilst seated behind the wheel with his seatbelt still fastened.
Eight spent 9 mm shell casings were collected at the scene.
Speaking with reporters at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, relatives, who requested their names not be used, pleaded for answers on why a man who had given his life over to God was taken so suddenly.They remembered Perreira as someone who always made time to explain the word of the Lord to anyone.
They revealed the clean, kind and helpful man often conducted Bible classes on a Sunday, where he provided that level of spiritual support that friends, family and neighbours needed.
Pressed to say what could have led to the killing, relatives claimed a “little issue in the area he was living in” was the catalyst behind the cold-blooded murder.
While they all agreed that a recent misunderstanding was to blame, the why and with whom remained unclear.
Relatives lamented videos which were circulated on social media which showed the killing. They described them as disgusting.
One relative said it was shocking and heart-wrenching to learn of their loved one’s death on social media before even receiving a phone call from the police.
They expressed despair that the crime situation would get worse, as they said Wednesday’s killing had brought back the memory of Perreira’s brother’s murder, which occurred four years ago when he was shot 35 times by gunmen at his home.