Gunmen operating out of Middle Road, La Penitence yesterday morning fatally shot a minibus driver in a well-planned ambush of passengers on their way to Suriname, the second bullet-riddled murder in the city in a matter of hours.
The driver, Edward Joseph of Meadowbook Gardens, died from a single gunshot which entered his shoulder and exited through his back. He was shot around 4 am while on the way to pick up a passenger in the Middle Road area who had made arrangements with him but reportedly failed to show up.
From all indications Edwards was shot in an attempt to rob the minibus which had five passengers at the time and the injured driver fearing the worst stepped on the accelerator and drove out of the street at top speed. By the time he reached the junction at Freeman and Vlissengen streets he was too weak to steer the vehicle. Edwards lost control of the bus and ended up in a ditch at the head of Laing Avenue. His lifeless body was later pulled from the submerged vehicle while the passengers including a toddler were rescued unharmed.
Eyewitness accounts of the shooting said that Edwards had already picked up four passengers and was slated to do a pick-up in Middle Road but he had trouble finding the place since he was new to the job. He worked for the popular Mikey’s Bus Services which has been in business for many years ferrying persons from all parts of the country to the boat crossing at Springlands, often in the wee hours of the morning.
Recounting what happened, passenger Candacie Blackman said Edwards drove to the wrong area three times and was about to give up when he found Middle Road. Based on the arrangements, a man was supposed to have been waiting in the street for him but when he drove in no one was there. As he was about to leave a man was spotted in the distance carrying a bag.
“We immediately said that was the man he was expecting so we waited but then another man started approaching so we got confused as to who really was suppose to be joining the bus”, the passenger related.
Though no one raised suspicions the atmosphere got tense and everyone sat quietly waiting for whichever man would approach the bus first. The first man to reach them turned out to be the gunman. She said they had no idea if the man coming from the other direction was indeed the passenger. He was the man with the bag in hand but according to reports, he acted funny which have led to suspicions that he might have been working along with the man who shot Edwards. A police press release issued yesterday said two men shot and killed Edwards before escaping.
Blackman said that when the first man reached the bus he opened fired without saying a word. A single shot was fired and for a few seconds the driver did not make a move resulting in the passengers shouting at him to drive off. The woman said she realized almost immediately that he was injured. Edwards then pulled away from the gunman and the other man who reportedly showed no sign of fear or made an attempt to flee after witnessing what happened.
The passenger said when Edwards reached the junction he asked excitedly “Which way to go? which way to go?. She then advised him that the West Ruimveldt police outpost was nearby and pointed him in the direction. Edwards made the right turn to the outpost but lost control of the vehicle shortly after. He ran into a small ditch at Laing Avenue, which is the area just after Middle Road going south. She said they called for help and within minutes persons from Laing Avenue were out of their homes assisting.
Men from the area jumped into the ditch and rescued her and a baby that she was holding. After Edwards was pulled from the ditch his body was on the road for more than an hour. The police arrived on the scene long after everything was over and transported the body to the Georgetown public hospital. Hospital records show that Edwards arrived after 6 am yesterday.
“It was real sad, real sad to see how that man was slumped over that steering wheel and all them people in the trench like that”, one resident said. He said people were particularly concerned about the little child who was in the water trapped in the vehicle at the time.
Stabroek News spoke with owner of the bus service, ‘Mikey’ who said he too picked up passengers early yesterday morning and travelled to Berbice but Edwards did the last trip for the morning. He explained that passengers would usually call him or another driver and make arrangements for pick-up and they would go right to the person’s door. Return trips from Suriname follow the same process, arrangements are made and persons are transported from Springlands to their homes in the city.
Mikey who travelled back to the city immediately after receiving word of the shooting, said he had drivers on staff for years that have been doing the job and this was the first time he had suffered such a calamity. He said he never changes drivers because the nature of the job requires people who are experienced, those who know the “ins and outs” of the business. Edwards only started on the job about three months ago but was working well according to Mikey.
“He was one of the most dedicated and dependable men I have on staff. This is hard for me because one of my drivers has fallen victim to the crime in this country. This is hard for me”, Mikey said.
Though he briefly touched on the subject of new arrangements being put in place, this newspaper has learnt that other drivers who operate similar businesses have expressed concern and are considering having passengers meet them at the bus park.
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