Chad Rainey never thought his brother would be killed on the job trying to sell steaks and seafood.
Rainey said he was selling door-to-door in Naples when he heard his brother, Nicholas Rainey, had been shot and killed.
“I just thought it was a lie,” he said. “It just didn’t happen, and I still can’t believe it.”
The family was having trouble Thursday accepting the death.
“I have to be strong for the rest of my family,’’ said Rainey, 26.
Police say Rainey, 30, was shot by Kenneth Roop when Roop came home and found the salesman in his driveway.
Roop was charged with second degree murder.
Rainey said he, his brother and their stepfather work for Blue Ribbon Steak and Seafood as salesmen.
He said he and his father are continuing to work for the company.
“I see on the news every day of my life that somebody got shot, but you would never ever think it would be you or your brother,” he said. “Not only was my brother shot in the chest, the man got out of his truck and put a bullet in the back of my brother’s head, like an execution.”
Rainey said he’s been in the area for about seven months, coming here from New Jersey. He said his brother has been living here for about six years.
The family has been staying at a motel on Palm Beach Boulevard.
“We are trying to get by in this messed up economy, and the guy is working, not out doing drugs, not trying to rob somebody, and he gets shot on the job,” he said.
Michael Schnatter, owner of Blue Ribbon Steak and Seafood, said the company’s employees are in shock.
“We’re devastated,” Schnatter said. “It’s like, you know, you’ve lost a member of your family.”
He said Rainey had worked as an independent operator selling meat for the company for about three years but had been doing similar work with other companies in the area much longer.
“As soon as you meet Nick, you fell in love with Nick,” he said. “Nick’s got a great personality, got a lot of charm, very professional,” he said.
He said Rainey did not leave behind a wife or kids. He said a fund is being set up to help Rainey’s family pay for expenses related to his death.
“This will haunt me for the rest of my life,” Rainey said. “It will haunt my mother, my father, my stepfather for the rest of their lives. My brother was everything to me.”
John Godfrey, one of the two door-to-door meat salesmen with Nick Rainey when he was shot, said Nick was always friendly and tried to make everyone comfortable, something he learned from his mom.
“He was just a cool guy. This guy was just cool beans,” he said.
“It’s sad to see somebody full of life get it taken from him just for working. He wasn’t doing nothing wrong, that’s the sad part,” he said.
Staff Writer Thomas Stewart contributed to this report.
