Guyanese Man Dies by Suicide After Killing Ex-Wife, Her Mother and Sister

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – A quiet village in Guyana has been left shaken following a horrific domestic violence incident that claimed the lives of three women and left a young man hospitalized. The alleged shooter, identified as Ramzan Ramdial, died by suicide early Thursday morning after ingesting a poisonous substance.

The tragedy unfolded late Wednesday night in the village of Ideal, when Ramdial reportedly went on a shooting rampage at the home of his ex-wife, Maline LaCruz. Maline, her mother Waveny LaCruz, and her sister Sueann LaCruz were all shot and killed at close range. Her brother, Ceon LaCruz, was injured in the attack and remains hospitalized.

The Guyana Police Force confirmed that Ramdial was found unresponsive at the scene of the shooting, but showed no signs of gunshot wounds. He later died from what authorities say was poison ingestion.

The massacre occurred just hours after Ramdial appeared in court to answer charges related to a previous alleged assault on Maline LaCruz, which occurred three months earlier.

According to residents, Ramdial approached the LaCruz home on a motorcycle. Moments later, gunshots rang out. Two young children were seen fleeing the house, screaming that their mother was dead. Alarmed neighbours rushed inside and discovered the bodies of the three women and the injured brother, while terrified children cried nearby.

In total, six children were in the home at the time of the shooting. Three of them were Maline LaCruz’s children, and the others were her younger siblings.

The Ministry of Human Services, through its Child Care and Protection Unit, has since stepped in to provide support and counseling to the children who witnessed the tragedy.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, as the nation grapples with yet another devastating case of domestic violence.