By Zoisa Fraser
A 63-year-old US-based Guyanese man was gunned down in his South Ruimveldt business place just before 8 last night by a lone gunman in what appears to be an execution-style killing.
Vincent Williams who at the time of his death was in his supermarket/general store located at Lot 168 Sunflower Circle, South Ruimveldt Park, was shot once in the middle of the chest. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital at 8:05 pm.
Reports are that Williams, who only returned home on Tuesday and his girlfriend, were in the store when the gunman came. It is not clear exactly what transpired there but the man was reportedly given a bag with money but it was tossed aside. The gunman then shot Williams in his chest at point-blank range. Added to that, the gunman made no attempt to remove the gold rings that Williams was wearing. He then fled on the foot.
When Stabroek News arrived on the scene, curious neighbours, friends and relatives of Williams were gathered outside Bebe’s Supermarket and General Store and many expressed their shock over the killing.
The police were already there conducting their investigations while loud wails from Williams’ 93-year-old mother, Rachael filled the air.
At the time of the shooting, Rachael was upstairs. Relatives were attempting to console the grief-stricken woman, who was sitting in a chair in the living room when this newspaper saw her. The man’s girlfriend was too distraught to recount the events of the night, to members of the media.
Speaking to the media, the dead man’s niece Wendy Lindo said that a bag of money was given to the gunman but he refused to take it. She that her uncle had on his rings, but no attempts was made to take them. The distraught woman said that from all appearances robbery was not the motive but she could not give a possible reason for her uncle’s killing.
Lindo said that he only arrived in the country two days ago and that the last time he was here was in November last year. She said too that he was a US citizen and the rest of his family resided there.
She could not say how long ago he left Guyana but said that “is years now”.
Williams’ nephew, Kevin told this newspaper that he left home last night to get his little brother and was about two yards away when he received a telephone call. The young man said that he was informed that someone was shot at the supermarket but took it for nothing since he had heard no gunshots. He only became aware that something serious had happened when he saw his cousin and uncle driving past in a speeding mini-bus.
A resident of the street however recalled hearing two gunshots and seeing a man running from the supermarket in a southerly direction.
The woman told this newspaper that she had not seen any suspicious vehicles in the area, before or after the shots.
The woman like many others in the quiet community questioned the motive for the killing with many saying that Williams was an easy-going person who is frequently out of the country.
One of Williams’ regular customers, Linden Swaving said last evening that this incident now drills fear into residents and goes to show that even the “ordinary people” are not safe anymore.
He added that not much money can be taken from a small business.
Several residents called for quick action by the police to find the killer and for Williams’ death not to go down in the crime pages as just another murder.
