-no robbery, says family
The sound of a single gunshot rang out in Kitty on Sunday night outside the David Street home of the Fosters; minutes later Alicia Foster was flat on the road, flung from her car after being shot in the face. She died at the Georgetown Public Hospital a short while later.
At only 26, it was the end of a young life that had known accomplishment and still held much promise. Her academic records tell the story of a young woman who excelled at school from an early age; her promotions at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reflected her commitment, while her work in the Leo Club demonstrated her compassion.
Though Alicia appeared far gone when her family rushed out and found her, many close to her believe she was conscious enough to feel them there.
According to a friend, “she must have grieved for them [family], the future she had so planned out and for life itself in those last breaths.”
Her father, James Foster described watching his eldest child lie on the road in such a manner as, “immensely painful”. It was a little before 10 pm when he responded to the persistent sounding of the buzzer and looked outside to see his daughter on the road, and his younger daughter, Marissa in an emotional state.
Reports are that the gunman and another man had been laying in wait, watching as Alicia pulled up opposite the home.
Alicia Foster’s car, which was hijacked after she was shot and pulled from it, parked in compound of the Brickdam police station yesterday. (Jules Gibson photo)
In a press release issued yesterday, police said Foster and her young sister were returning home in motorcar PHH 2236 when the incident occurred. On arriving home, the younger sister Marissa was opening the gate to the premises when a man armed with a firearm approached and demanded that the woman exit the vehicle. She refused and the man fired one round that struck her in the face.
The gunman then pulled her out of the car and drove it away. According to the police, the gunman was joined by a male accomplice who was standing on the southern side of the street and they escaped together. The police also said the car was found abandoned at Well Road, North Ruimveldt yesterday around 9 am minus the keys. The investigation is continuing.
Something special
Visibly shaken and struggling to maintain his composure, James Foster told Stabroek News that his daughter was not the victim of a carjacking or a robbery. He said nothing was taken from her except her life and he believed that something is amiss.
He had no answers at the time but said someday it would come to light. Meanwhile, he was resigned to let the police handle the matter while his family tries to recover from the loss.
He remembered Alicia as a natural achiever, recalling that she always did well at school up until she graduated from the University of Guyana with a degree in Biology.
She dreamed about pursuing a Masters Degree in the same field overseas some time in the not too distant future and later, a PHD. She also took up Portuguese recently, in hopes of mastering the language within the next year. “She would go hours into the night on projects from the Leo Club helping out people in need at any time of the day.
She was something special, and would say some of the most meaningful things to me. We are going to miss her,” the father said, choking up.
Alicia Foster
The experience of Sunday night is so wounding that Foster prefers not to speak of it and simply remember his daughter before the tragic incident. He last spoke with her on Sunday around noon when she was called to have lunch with the family. She opted out, saying she had to run out.
She went home twice on Sunday night; once to drop off someone at the residence and again when she returned with her sister; he did not see her that night until she was lying on the road.
Foster said he had long encouraged his four children including Alicia to think of life outside Guyana and to focus on relocating as they grow older. “This [death] is the reason why I tell them to think about it. My family has never had such a tragedy and look where it has hit us. We have lost Alicia,” he added.
Foster was a Senior Environmental Officer (Acting) at the EPA, assigned to the Complaints and Response Unit of the Environmental Manage-ment Division (EMD). In a statement, the management and staff of the EPA extended condolences to her family, relatives and friends.
She was the Agency’s representative on the Board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the National Water Council, and had successfully coordinated activities on the monitoring and closure of Omai Gold Mines Ltd.
She had also done a considerable amount of work in the forestry and mining sectors, and was instrumental in training new recruits.
The statement described to her as a highly disciplined, dedicated, committed and personable individual, who made a significant contribution to the EPA. “Ms Foster had a genuine interest in environmental issues particularly in the areas of Waste Manage-ment, Natural Resources Management, Pollution Prevention and Ecosystem and Environmental Asses-sment”, the statement said. Director (Acting) of the EMD Mr Khalid Alladin said her high level of proficiency and her care and consideration for others were reflected in her being one of the pillars for the success, unity and teamwork of the Division.
Her passing has certainly left a vacuum within the Division. Other staff echoed similar sentiments, he added.
my deepest sympathy to the bereaved family, a tragic and painful lost indeed, i said before and will continue to say, police patrols, patrols, patrols, a daily vehicle police patrols for the city and its proximate environs, come on mr, rohee start doing something for a change.
me na no wah feh seh no mo! anada yung mind snuffed from us feh wah i axed! feh wah! now le we xamine dis alil closa, wan smat, yung, vibrant gyal whose life was full of accolades was killed infont of a family memba and nothin else and no one else was harmed……….. she car intact at deh police station, an eye witness who freken to com forwad………… o lad gad me smell wan RAT in dis ya kilin……
Deh gov’t always promotin education givin yung peple opportunities to beta dem self and in doin so society benefits……the EPA had a prominent person on board to conduct it business in a professional and reponsible manner only to meet this, shot in she yad infront she sista…… me na no wah feh seh no mo! olad gad!
deh peple who kil dis gyal must be broght to justice at all cost and I mean at all cost because dis gyal life is not a cheap trill in wat eva perverted cause dat was at deh origin of a life lost to someone who deh Guyanese lost out on all future benefits and whose personal goals i am sure has not even taken root as yet…..
we shuld not rest until deh proper authorities get em peple to the gallows who are responsible for this this tragic end to a once promosing young woman who pulled all deh rite stop to be where she was until this faitful sunday nite….
Lets us get a ward out deh, and implore the eye witness to com forward to help the authorities to arrest the perpetrators of this henious crime. I hope this paper kepp this story boilin until justice is served…….in closing, think bout deh trauma dis have pun she lil sista! owh lad me gad help abbey nah……………
Only God could tell me that this execution was not job related………………….Think about it…………
Indeed how tragic this is for all. My condolences to the family and to ALL OF GUYANA WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LOVED ONES SO TRAGICALLY. Again Guyana is in mourning. My opinion is that there are lots and lots of guns and ammo in the hands of criminals and no one knows who will be the next victim. No matter who is appointed in the high offices at the Home Affairs, nothing can change, except harsh punishments to these criminals. How can this madness be stopped. As a mother, this pain of losing a child is real hell. Why, Why do our people have to live in such fears? what are the solutions, and where can we turn for help to stop these crimes? so many questions, no answers – or am I crazy?
My deepest sympathy to the Foster Family. To the killer, I just want to say that the cops will track you down, and when they find you — you’ll have the right to remain silent forever..
catching the trigger men is only half the job what about the person or persons who paid for the hit if its to do with the threats that was made what then or are they untouchable like so many others?
My deepest sympathy to the entire family, her dad is a very strong man, trust me, if it was my daughter, my family would have had two deaths, I couldn’t take something like this, to hear my bell pressed, looking out and seeing my daughter on the road dying,? I would have had a heart attack forthwith, these killers were awaiting this child, something is up and would come out later, whatever it is, these killers are not humans, can’t believe Guyenese killing their own, my God, I’ve had it now, I cannot begin to explain my feelings, every day, we cannot read the papers in peace, we r constantly having to wipe our tears from our eyes, this is no robery, the other sister was there opening the gate, they waited to kill her and used her car to get away, because as stated by her dad, nothing was taken from her, I so glad that the other sister was not shot also, because killers never allows a second person to be alive to point them out. I’m very upset, devasted and cannot understand why persons has no value on others lives, now I would be awaiting to see if the judge would give bail to these killers, can’t understand why any lawyer would accept this case.
Whoever is responsible for Alicia’s killing should take a good look at America and see what greed and selfishness cauesd.
U will live with that guilt forever
R.I.P Alicia i’ll see u in heaven
My condolences to the Foster family, I am a close family friend to Mrs. Foster. My deepest regret. It is very devastated to hear about Alicia.
Another reason WHY GUYANA STAYS NUMBER ONE IN EXECUTION STYLE KILLINGSSS .REST IN PEACE GIRL …WHEN WILL OUR ELECTED DEAR MR.PRESIDENT CONTROL THIS ONE THING THAT IS HOLDING BACK OUR COUNTRY???WHEN?WHEN? FORGET ABOUT BUILDING BRIDGES ETC.PROTECT PEOPLE LIFES AND EVERYTHING THING WILL FOLLOW…
DONT YOU SEE WHATS GOING PEOPLE ARE CRYING FOR HELP,THIS IS HOW YOU WANT PEOPLE TO VISIT GUYANA???PLEASE …..YOU NEED TO REFORM THAT WHOLE GPF..FROM TOP TO BOTTOM!!!!!! DO IT NOW…FORGET ABOUT TRIPS TO NEW YORK ETC.CONTROL THIS THING…..SAD SAD..
I HOPE IT MAKE ALL THE LOCAL PAPERS OVERSEAS SO PEOPLE SEE THAT CRIME IS STILL THERE!!!!!!!
Can you enlighten me where you got your statistics that Guyana is “number one” in execution style killings?
like all the other bloggers, I would like to extend my sympathy to this family.
I am so shocked, I hope this is resolved soonest.