Senior Reporter
shane.superville@guardian.co.tt
Air conditioning technician Xzandre Romney was gunned down at his Punnette Avenue, Arima home on Sunday afternoon, less than a year after the murder of his older brother, Jehlano Romney, the main witness in the shooting death of PC Clarence Gilkes.
A relative, who was at the Forensic Science Centre yesterday for the autopsy on the body of Romney, noted coincidences in the murders of the brothers, as they were both killed on a Sunday when they were 30 years old.
Xzandre celebrated his 30th birthday last Wednesday and the relative, who spoke anonymously, said he was not involved in any illegal activities.
Originally from Richplain, Diego Martin, Romney recently moved to Arima with his common-law wife.
The relative said the family felt overwhelmed with grief over the murders of the brothers.
“We are still getting over his brother’s death so now for this to come and happen.“It’s just too much,” she said.
“Since last year we have been through so much. Right now his mother is hanging in there. She is not in the state of mind she will normally be in but she is holding out, she is coping.”
The relative said Romney did not have any children of his own but treated the children of his common-law wife as his own.
Jehlano Romney was shot and killed outside his father’s home in Morvant on November 12 last year. He was the main witness in the shooting death of PC Clarence Gilkes in Richplain Road, Diego Martin, on April 22, 2022.
The initial report given by police at the time of the shooting was that Romney shot at Gilkes and a party of officers. However, a post-mortem report showed that Gilkes was shot from behind with a police-issued bullet.
Further enquiries led to PC Kristian Genty being charged with Gilkes’ murder and WPC Crystal Williams-Bowman being charged with shooting at Romney to cause harm.
Police from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II are investigating Xzandre Romney’s murder.
