A taxi driver was shot dead at Perry Street, Tucville late Sunday night, minutes after he was hired by a man.
Charles Percival Caesar Jnr, 24, of Garnett Street, Albouystown and Annandale, East Coast Demerara, sustained a single gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital, sometime after 11 pm.
A senior police officer told Stabroek News yesterday that around 10:50pm residents heard a gunshot and informed the police, who on arrival found Caesar with a gunshot wound. Police, in a terse press release late yesterday afternoon, said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. His body, the police said, was found around 10:55 pm with a suspected bullet wound to his left side in motor car PKK 6385, which was parked on Perry Street. Residents told this newspaper that the man’s body was found lying on the roadway near the car. No arrests had been made up to press time last night.
Caesar, who was attached to the Ezee Runnings Taxi Service for several weeks now, left the Sheriff Street base with a customer around 10:40pm. This newspaper was told that Caesar was sitting outside the base when a man came up and requested a taxi. It is unclear where the man was headed.
About five minutes later, a customer called the base requesting a taxi but numerous efforts by the dispatcher to contact Caesar via his radio set were futile. After he failed to turn up or make contact with the base, the dispatcher, whom he was to transport home, locked up and left.
One of Caesar’s workmates described him as a “good, nice, intelligent and quiet” person.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Caesar’s relatives said that the incident left them baffled, since he had no enemies. His wife, Shaibiki recounted to this newspaper that she last spoke with her husband on Saturday and all seemed well with him. She was clueless as to what might have led to the killing. The couple shared an 18-month old daughter.
A close relative with whom this newspaper also spoke said that she was puzzled since Caesar had no known problem with anyone. The woman, who did not want her name published, said that he never reported receiving any threats.
Relatives said it was media personnel who informed them of the incident shortly after it had occurred.
When this newspaper visited the scene of the shooting yesterday morning, one resident recounted that he heard a single gunshot and when he ventured outside to investigate he saw a body lying motionless on the roadway and a car a stone’s throw away. The resident told this newspaper that later the man tried to speak but nothing came out of his mouth. He said that all the car doors were open, the lights were on inside and the interior was turned upside down. The man added that the car keys were also missing and he opined that the perpetrator/s was looking for something.
This newspaper was told that residents began to gather and within ten minutes of a call being placed to the East La Penitence Police Station, ranks arrived on the scene. Caesar was then rushed to the hospital by the police, the resident said.
Ranks spent some three hours combing the scene for clues and also removed Caesar’s vehicle.
The resident noted that this was the first time that he had seen the man in the area.
Residents did not recall seeing anyone fleeing the scene but opined that the killer/s approached the man from the opposite direction and fled the same way.
Caesar, from all accounts, was heading south along Perry Street, which is in a state of disrepair. The shooting occurred a few feet from a bend. The adjoining section of the road is smoother and allows for a faster getaway, this newspaper was told. The spot where the shooting occurred is reasonably lit.
This newspaper was told that police patrols in Perry Street are rare even though the area is known for “plenty” armed robberies.
