By Neil Marks

A VERGENOEGEN, East Bank Essequibo man was shot dead by suspected bandits Thursday at his family’s home in Puerta Ordaz, Venezuela; his father, who witnessed the act, collapsed and died of a heart attack shortly after, relatives said.

Dead is Miguel Alejandro Brito, 23 and Artuo Brito, 60.

“They had black out and Mom was in her room; dad was somewhere in the house and brother was in the living room [when] the thief went in,” Dhanwantie, Miguel’s Brito sister said.

“The [electricity] came on and they must have seen my brother first and they shot him in his head.

“My father run to the living room and see my brother on the floor with his brains out and he screamed for Mom and when she reached the living room, dad dropped on the floor.

“She rush to Dad to help him up but when she turned him over [he was dead],” she related.

The younger Brito was born in Guyana but was a citizen of Venezuela. His father, a Venezuelan, was also a naturalised Guyanese. The family resided at Vergenoegen but migrated to Venezuela some years ago.