35 bullets for La Romaine mechanic

A mother stood in her gallery moaning loudly as undertakers left with the body of her son, Ryan Abdool, shortly after gunmen fired 35 bullets at him at the family’s Southern Main Road, La Romaine home on Saturday.

Abdool, 46, a divorced father of two, was shot while sitting in the driver's seat of a black Range Rover.

Reports indicate that as he returned to his home and parked the vehicle around 12.05 pm, two gunmen, who were following him, alighted from a white vehicle and started firing shots from what appeared to be automatic weapons.

His mother, Zorida, who lived with him in the family home, told police she heard gunshots and found her son's body, slumped in the driver’s seat.

Police markers on the scene indicated that 35 spent shells were recovered. Abdool, a mechanic, who repaired high-end vehicles, was shot in the head and chest. The back left window of the vehicle was shattered by bullets. There were bullet holes in the front left side of the vehicle.

Police said Abdool spent time in jail for matters relating to taking money to purchase and repair high-end vehicles, but not delivering on his promise. He was charged with larceny for $298,780 in April 2021. He recently removed all his photographs from social media and was said to be keeping a “low profile,” after he was beaten outside a nightclub in La Romaine, police said.

His family locked their gates after the police left with Abdool's body and the Ranger Rover for forensic testing at Cumuto.

As they left, the mother screamed, “Why, why, why they kill my child?”

People gathered on the scene said Abdool paid with his life for the wrong he did to people.

Surrounded by family members, Zorida continued to ask, “Why people does take other people’s children lives? How could I live without my child?”

She said every day Ryan would tell her that he loved her and on Friday she remembered him telling her to take care of herself and her health.

"This morning he took me to the market and he did not tell me anything before they kill him."

As the hearse made its way of her yard with the body, her cries became more desperate.

“Ryan you leaving me. You not coming back. Oh God, Ry, you going. My child not coming back and the gunmen gone with their guns and they making merry. They happy.”

Devout Muslims who were preparing for the holy feast of Ramadan which starts on March 10, the mother said she was placing justice in the hands of Allah.

“God will deal with them. Give him time he will deal with them. Their time will come,” she said.

Neighbours and friends who gathered outside the family’s home commented on the sorry state of crime in the country.

“Crime not happening under the cover of darkness. It happening any time any day. Look, hot, hot sun and they come and kill the man.”