Cousin of slain Blanchisseuse man: It feels like a nightmare

The cousin of murdered lifeguard Sherwin Maharaj described his grief as a "living nightmare" as he recalled speaking with him minutes before he was gunned down on Wednesday night.

Maharaj, 31, was shot dead at around 8 pm near his home when he went to drop off soft drinks for a relative on O'Connor Street, Blanchisseuse.

Newsday understands the gunman waited for Maharaj behind an abandoned house nearby and shot him in the back of the head. He died immediately.

Newsday visited the area on Thursday and spoke to Maharaj's cousin Anthony Maharaj, who remembered his last minutes with his cousin before he left to drop off the drinks.

"He and I were just liming here when he got the call reminding him to go and get the soft drinks.

"When he left, that's when I heard the gunshots.

"He was one of the nicest people you could know and I can't really describe what it's like how I'm feeling right now. It feels like I'm living through a movie or a nightmare and I can't wake up."

Maharaj said he suspects his cousin's killers were people from the area who were familiar with the layout of the streets and where to hide.

"No one from outside the community is going to come here after dark to wait in a bushy area to kill someone.

"More than that. the gunman ran through a bushy area. so whoever did this is from the area and knew where to run in order to escape."

Newsday spoke to another relative who suspected Maharaj's murder was related to an ongoing property dispute with a group of people who threatened him in the past.

Maharaj's younger brother Renaldo drowned at Chaguaramas last year.

In an unrelated incident, a 24-year-old Santa Cruz man was shot dead at around 9 pm on Wednesday.

Police said Justin Weekes was standing near his home at Donald Avenue, Sam Boucaud when he was shot.

Relatives heard the gunshots and saw Weekes bleeding from his head.

Newsday visited the area on Thursday but was told by a relative that Weekes' family were fearful as rumours were circulating on social media over the cause of his death.

Investigators suspect another relative may have been the target of the gunmen, but could not confirm what the motive might have been.

Homicide investigators are continuing enquiries.