Businessman fatally shoots himself in gun demonstration

BUSINESSMAN and retired coast guard officer Richard Edwards is believed to have accidentally shot himself while showing employees how to use a firearm on Friday night.

Edwards, 50, was the owner of Multinational Specialist Network Richard Edwards.

Eyewitness said Edwards last words to his employee was, “This is how it is done. This is what I want you to do,” before he pointed the gun to his face and pulled the trigger. He then collapsed in the classroom.

According to a police report, on Friday night Edwards was conducting a lecture at his business in Point Lisas on the topic, Proper methods of loading a gun, when the incident occurred.

Police said Edwards was using his personal firearm to demonstrate to his employees.

“One of the students asked him if a gun could be fired from a certain position and he decided to demonstrate. He loaded the gun...and said, 'this is how it is done',” Edwards’ close friend, Kevol Garcia, told Newsday.

Garcia said he was told that before Edwards pulled the trigger, one of the employees stopped him, saying he had not taken out the magazine.

But Edwards replied saying that he knew what he was doing, and with those words he pulled the trigger.

Garcia said he is still puzzled. “This is not sounding like the Edwards I know. He is not a novice, he has been training people for years. How could he not know that there was a magazine in the gun? This is crazy. I am in shock. I don’t understand how he could point a loaded gun to his head.”

Edwards was taken to the Couva Health Facility where he was declared dead.

Police have seized a 9 mm gun as investigations continue.