Murder victim’s family: ‘He was set up’

RELATIVES of Ronald “Tek” McKie, who was shot dead in Arouca early yesterday morning, believe he was set up by people in the area.

Newsday spoke to relatives awaiting the results of an autopsy yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, who said McKie was liming in the yard of a friend’s house on Kiskadee Crescent, Bon Air Gardens, Arouca when, at about 1 am, two gunmen ambushed and killed him.

“How the area is, it would have to be someone from the area to orchestrate it,” said a relative who did not want to be named.

Newsday was told one of the gunmen sneaked through a gate at the front of the property, while another jumped a fence in the back. When the first gunman approached him they got into a scuffle, then the second man approached from behind. McKie was shot several times and died on the scene. Police later found nine-mm shells and 40-calibre shells.

Newsday was told police may be seeking the assistance of neighbours with CCTV cameras on their houses, in an effort to identify the killers.

Newsday was told McKie got his nickname “Tek” because he was an air conditioning technician. Relatives said he was the father of a 16-year-old girl and a three-month-old boy. He is expected to be buried under Muslim rites.

In a separate incident, the body of a man found in Bagatelle on Monday afternoon has been identified as Jarrell Arismendez, a PH taxi driver from Laventille.

According to reports, residents of Cascade Drive, Bagatelle heard gunshots and called the police who found Arismendez dead in a car. He had been shot multiple times.