Security guard opens window to his killers

MTS security officer Randall John responded to a knocking on his window around 1.26 am, on September 25, thinking it may be a tenant. This reflective action to open it and look out, in the quiet neighbourhood of Gasparillo, was met with a volley of bullets which instantly ended his life.

Friends and relatives are baffled by this murder which police has deemed a "hit" although a motive seems unclear at this time.

A neighbour told Newsday he has known the victim for a few years but never knew him to be involved in anything illegal.

He said John was a father of two but was separated from his children and their mother.

“The children’s mother is a Spanish woman. He liked Spanish women. He was in a common-law relationship with another Spanish woman who was with him when he was killed.”

Police said John and his common-law-wife, Marie Carmen Ramos were in bed, in the apartment building he owned, at Warren Road, Gasparillo when he responded to the knocking on the kitchen window.

John and Ramos occupied the single apartment at the base of the building. There are also three tenanted apartments to the top.

Enquiries revealed that John normally left his kitchen window opened day and night, should any of his tenants need to communicate with him or pay their rent.

“He opened the window to see who was knocking, and bullets started flying. He got hit to his chest and collapsed on the kitchen floor and died right there. I am not sure he saw his killer(s). This was unexpected,” the neighbour said.

“I don’t know him as a man in any kind of trouble with the law or one who had enemies. The police are saying it was a hit, but I don’t know anyone who would want him dead.”

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he believes John’s killers were known to him.

“There are two big dogs in this yard and anybody unknown who come here, the dogs would bark at them. There was no barking. Also, the camera did not pick up anything. It means the killers knew where the camera was located to the front and must have come from the back to avoid detection.”

Police have seized the camera footage.

“I don’t know where they came from because there is a big drain to the back of the house and tall bush. As you can see this house in located in a dead end, so the killers planned their thing.”

A police report confirmed that John, 30, was an MTS security guard who worked at the Pleasantville West Secondary School.

The report stated that around 1.50 am, on September 25, first responders PCs Bhattan and Burnett were on patrol when they received the report and went to the location. Ramos informed them they were in bed when John left to see who came knocking. She later heard loud explosions and on checking found him on the kitchen floor, bleeding from injuries to his upper body.

The area was cordoned off and senior officers, including Insp Maharaj, acting Insp Stephen James, acting Sgt Singh, Homicide Bureau Region 3 officers, Cpl Griffith and PC Bhola, along with CSI officer Simon visited and processed the scene.

Police recovered one LC1 5.56 spent shell, plus one Cavim 5.56 spent shell, giving the impression there were two gunmen.

DMO Dr Ramlogan declared John dead and ordered his body be taken to the Forensic Science Centre, St James. An autopsy on September 26 confirmed John died from multiple gunshot injuries. WPC Valdez is continuing investigations.