Penal businessman shot dead

He is the fourth person in his family to be shot and killed. In 2003, his father Anthony Hospedales was shot and killed at the family’s home. Collins was wounded in the gun attack. A few years later his uncle Lawrence Hospedales and a cousin, George Collins, fell victim to gun violence.

Collins (Lyndon) was seated on a chair in a garage writing a text message on his mobile phone at the Penal Rock Road home of a relative when the killing occurred. He leaves to mourn his two daughters Kianna, 11 and Kayla nine.

Yesterday, grieving relatives said the shooter was a “total stranger” who didn’t blink an eyelid when he dipped into his pants waist, whipped out the gun and shot Collins before running off. He sent those who were liming with him in the garage scampering to safety.

The incident took place close to a church.

“This is where we reach,” said the distraught relative who asked not to be identified. “Imagine if you and someone fall out, that person hiring a man to kill you on their behalf.

You and the killer never had nothing, but he will do it because he only studying the money.” Newsday was told that Collins ignored the man who had walked into the yard as he did not know him and just continued on his phone.

Collins’ killer was described as a man in his late 20’s, with a smooth face, of slim built about 5 feet, 7 inches tall. He wore a white T-shirt, blue three-quarter jeans, a black baseball cap and white Nike Air Force sneakers.

A police report said that a 26-year-old security officer was with Collins moments before he was killed. The officer told police that while running to safety when she saw the killer pull out a gun, she heard several loud explosions.

When she returned a short while later, she found Collins to be unresponsive.

Kathleen Hospedales said her nephew was not known to be involved in criminal activities and was the owner of two cellular phone outlets in Penal and Chaguanas.

“This killing shock everybody,” Hospedales told Newsday. “Only God alone could fix this crime situation in this country because it real bad. Why would somebody want him dead?” However another male relative had a strong message for Collins’ killer.

He said, “For the life that you take, just remember one day your day will come and it will be worse than what you do to Lyndon Collins.”