Joseph Galea, known as il-Ġilda, who was shot dead in Marsa on Tuesday morning, was still alive, gasping for air, when his wife went outside to investigate after hearing a loud noise.

“I went to him and heard him taking deep, deep breaths in his car,” Joanne Galea, who has her husband’s nickname tattooed on her right upper arm, said between sobs yesterday.

He died in a hail of bullets fired at his Kia Sorrento at about 5am.

Sephora Galea, 29, one of his five children, said he used to go out every morning at around 4.45am to have coffee and run some errands for her mother.

The family denied reports that Galea was a police informer. They also denied claims Mr Galea had connections with Sicilians living in Palermo.

“He went to Sicily on Saturday and returned that same night. It’s not true what they are saying that he returned on Monday evening,” his daughter insisted.

The police are looking for an SUV they believe two men parked across the road while waiting for Mr Galea to come outside.

Anyone with information can call the police in confidence on 119.

More details about the murder scene and the murder victim as described by his family can be found on the Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.