Two men who were allegedly on their way to a bar to shoot members of a rival gang, ended up in a gun fight with police and paid with their lives early yesterday.

Killed by police were Ricardo Theophilus and Ricardo Pierre, also known as Puppy.

Both men were from San Fernando.

Pierre was reputedly a notorious criminal.

He was a suspect in several murders in the South Western Division, and in the murder last month of Bevon Nepture, the son of a police officer. Neptune was shot in his car at Buen Intento Village, Princes Town as he drove out of a street with his girlfriend at his side.

Police said at around 12.40 a.m. yesterday, they got a tip that a black Nissan Almera carrying men with guns, was at Carlton Lane, San Fernando.

Police said they spotted the car at Lawrence Street, and three shots were fired at them by a man sitting in the front passenger seat of the car.

Police said they fired back and killed Pierre who was the passenger.

Theophilus died at 5 a.m. while receiving treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital.

Police said they recovered a chrome plated pistol still in the grip of Pierre who lived at Tarodale Heights, a new Housing Development Corporation community near Tarouba.

When intercepted, police said the men were within a minute of the bar in which their enemies were hanging out.