[UPDATED] Autistic man shot dead, family denies gang reports: ‘He was pure joy’

THE family of 34-year-old Kynplyn Sandy, who was shot to death outside his home in Tunapuna on March 25, denies he was involved in a gang.

Sandy, who was autistic, was sitting on a chair in front of his home when he was approached by a gunman who shot him and ran away.

Social media reports afterwards claimed Sandy’s death was gang-related.

Speaking with the media at the Forensic Science Centre on March 26, his family said this was untrue.

They said they were unsure why he was killed but confident it had nothing to do with gang involvement as he was not a member of any gangs.

“That is not true. That is not true. Anybody who know him and interacted with him could say that they know this is not true.”

Sandy’s family remembered him as a helpful, fun-loving man who loved to dance.

“He was very sweet, compassionate, kind and full of life. He never let his disability keep him down. If you knew him as a person, he was just pure joy. His energy was contagious.”

They said he also loved to go to church and was there every Sunday.

Sandy celebrated turning 34 on Valentine’s Day, a day the family said would no longer be the same without him.

One relative said he was her Valentine every year.

“I either gave him a cake or gave him ice cream every year. He used to call me and say, ‘You know, next week is my birthday. You buying the cake or are you buying the ice cream?’

“When it's his birthday, he was so excited that he is telling you happy birthday so you can tell him happy birthday too.”

Sandy’s mother cried as she recalled how eager he was about an upcoming trip to Tobago.

She said she could not understand why anyone would want to hurt him.

“He will sit there and say to everybody who passing, ‘Good morning.’”

The family say they are now unsure about staying in the area where they have lived for decades but will have that discussion after his funeral.

“We're not sure about anything right now. All we want is for him to get a nice send-off and just everything that he deserves.

“Then we'll figure it out, but for now, the focus is just to make sure that he is laid to rest.”

This story has been updated to include additional details. See original story below with the headline 'Autistic man shot dead, family denies gang reports'.

THE family of 34-year-old Kynplyn Sandy, who was shot dead outside his home in Tunapuna on March 25, denies he was involved in a gang.

Sandy, who was autistic, was sitting on a chair in front of his home when a gunman approached, shot him and ran away.

Social media reports afterwards claimed Sandy’s death was gang-related.

Speaking with the media at the Forensic Science Centre on March 26, his family said this was not true.

They said they are unsure why he was killed, but confident it had nothing to do with gang involvement, as he was not a member of any gang.

Sandy’s family remembered him as a helpful, fun-loving man who loved to dance.

They said he also loved to go to church and was there every Sunday.