-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.
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.
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.
