By Gyasi Gonzales
Copyright trinidadexpress
THE RELATIVES of one of the two men shot and killed by police on Sunday are calling for an enquiry into his death, saying that “someone made a mistake”.
The Express spoke to the wife of one of the men, Shyien “Nookie” Trancoso, 25 who requested that her name not to be published.
The relatives of the other man, Enrique Garcia, 24, a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, were not at home yesterday.
According to police, members of the North Central Division Gang and Intelligence Unit (NDGIU) received intelligence that the two men were planning an armed robbery targeting patrons after the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket final viewing at a bar in Sangre Grande.
They were also told that the bandits would be using a red coloured Honda Vezel, crossover SUV.
Police said that around 6.37 p.m. officers from both the gang unit and the Eastern Division Task Force (EDTF) were carrying out surveillance at Jairasingh Village in Sangre Grande when they spotted the red Honda.
The officers moved in and attempted to intercept the vehicle, but one of the men inside reportedly opened fire, damaging one of the police vehicle’s side mirrors.
The officers returned fire.
Police said that during the shoot-out both Trancoso and Garcia sustained gunshots. No officers were injured.
Police then took the two injured men to the Sangre Grande Hospital where they pronounced dead around 7.27 p.m.
Other officers remained on the scene and when they checked inside the Honda they allegedly found one Plumcrazy AR-15 assault rifle with 26 rounds of armour piercing ammunition.
Both men grew up as neighbours
The Express visited Trancoso’s relatives at their home at Upper Cunapo Road, Coalmine, Sangre Grande.
While there the Express was told that both men grew up as neighbours “for years” but Garcia’s relatives were not at home.
Trancoso’s wife however said she last saw him sometime before 6 p.m. on Sunday sitting in the porch of their home speaking on the phone. “He was outside in the gallery and I know he was on a phone call and when I came outside looking for him he wasn’t home,” she said.
“It was after 6 p.m. when he left, then around half 7 p.m. or minutes to 8 p.m. his sister in law called me and she was like, you hear anything?”
She replied that she did not.
“And then she said it had an accident and she want to believe it’s Shyien and Enrique but then they say it’s some shooting and they not sure who died, they just say someone get shoot and one was on the ground,” she said.
She said that when she made further calls it was confirmed to her that her husband and lifelong friend had been killed but added that he was no criminal.
“They (Trancoso and Garcia) basically grow together because they living right next door but I think someone made a mistake because that’s my husband. We living together and I know the person that I am with,” she said.
Asked if she was calling for an enquiry she replied “yes.”
“He had me quarrelling every now and then but he was a good person…a very loving person. He was a loving father (of a daughter) and a loving son to his mother,” she said.
She added that Trancoso was a construction worker but due to body pains he had taken some time off.
A total of 57 people have been killed by police in 2025.