MoBay taxi man executed in front of students

WESTERN BUREAU:

A group of students from Ryne Park in St James were exposed to real terror yesterday morning when a man who was a passenger in the taxi in which they were travelling alighted from the vehicle, pulled a handgun, and executed the driver as they looked on in horror.

"We just hear di shot and see the pickney dem a run," a resident of the community told The Gleaner. "When we went and check it out, nuh di driver dem kill."

The deceased man, who is a popular taxi operator in the parish, has been identified as 51-year-old David Hylton, who had been living in the community for several years.

Hylton was the second person to die by the gun in the parish in a 24-hour window as shortly after 7 p.m. on Thursday, an unemployed resident of York Bush in Mount Carey was shot and killed by unknown assailants.

In the Ryne Park incident, which occurred at about 8 a.m. Hylton was reportedly doing his customary early morning transportation of persons from the community. He picked up his alleged killer among his passengers. Along the way, the man asked for a stop, alighted from the vehicle, and handed the driver his fare.

While the driver was searching for money to make change for the man, he reportedly pulled a firearm, pointed it at the driver's head and opened fire.

When the police responded to the shooting, the killer had already fled the location. Hylton was found slumped over the steering wheel. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Di blood ketch mi inna mi face and me start bawl," one traumatised student told residents, who rushed to the vehicle after the shooter fled.

In the Mt Carey incident, which occurred at about 7:15 p.m. residents reportedly heard several shots being fired in the yard of 23-year-old Shavoy 'Tall Man' Henry. When the shooting subsided and they went to investigate, Henry was found suffering from multiple bullet wounds.

The injured Henry was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The latest killings bring to 82 the number of persons murdered in St James, which has been under a state of public emergency since the start of the year.