Arima labourer made to 'put down' baby granddaughter then gunned down

Instead of enjoying their Father's Day, an Arima family is in mourning after their patriarch was gunned down while visiting his granddaughter on Saturday afternoon.

Police said Andrew Corbin visited a relative's home at the Heights of Guanapo at around 12.45 pm when two gunmen wearing ski masks stormed the house and shot him several times.

Several relatives were in the house at the time of the shooting.

Officers of the Northern Division Task Force were called in with police from the Arima CID.

A district medical officer visited the scene and declared Corbin dead.

Investigators said 12 spent shells were found at the scene.

Newsday visited Corbin's home on Pinto Road, Arima, on Sunday and spoke with relatives who said they were still shaken after the incident.

One relative who asked not to be named said Corbin was threatened by criminals in the Heights of Guanapo and Dump Road to stay away from the area.

She said she did not know what led to him being banned from the area but said relatives have warned him repeatedly to avoid venturing into those neighbourhoods.

"He went to drop medicine for his granddaughter who wasn't feeling too well.

"She is two months old. He was holding her when those men run in the house and tell him to put down the child.

"That's when they shot him.

"We warned him about this. We told him not to go there but they were probably monitoring him from the time he came up the road."

Another relative said Corbin was told of an impending threat to his safety by police in March.

"The officers came here and told him that men were passing through the neighbourhood who wanted to harm him (Corbin).

"We don't know what led to this and we kept telling him to avoid that area in Heights of Guanapo, but he was stubborn."

The relative said the shooting was traumatising to the entire family as they had been nervous and were fearful for their lives.

She said the relatives who were in the house at the time of the murder scampered to safety in nearby bushes after the attack.

"We basically turn into security guards now. Every car that passes the road here we checking to see, every noise we hear we are jumping.

"Up to now, none of us have slept since this happened. It's terrible how we are feeling right now."

The relatives said, while they were hopeful they would receive justice for Corbin's murder, they were not optimistic the police would find the perpetrators.

Relatives said Corbin was an employee of the Tunapuna/ Piarco Regional Corporation and was well known for advocating for better roads and infrastructure in his community.

Police from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II are continuing enquiries.