Murdered bus driver’s family in disbelief

Mar 23, 2016 News

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– Wife too distraught to speak
 
By Enid Joaquin
“I can’t believe my father is gone,” were the painful words of Mary Lorrimer as she sadly reflected on the

gruesome killing of her father Elvin Lorrimer, who was on Monday night shot by one of two bandits on a motorcycle at the Linden bus park in Georgetown.
Fifty-three year-old Lorrimer of 184 Carter Road, Kara Kara, Linden, who was a minibus driver, was reportedly preparing to make his return trip to Linden, at the time of the incident. However, that was not to be. Instead, he was shot, and later died at the Georgetown Public Hospital while receiving emergency medical treatment.
SEVERE BLOW
Mary, his only daughter, said that her father’s death has dealt a severe blow to the family. Trying valiantly to hold back her tears, she spoke candidly of her father and how much he meant to his family.
Her mother was too distraught to speak.
“I have to be strong for my mother” the daughter declared, almost to herself.
In alluding to the incident which rendered her fatherless and made her mother a widow, Mary Lorrimer related how her father was threatened recently by two youths who attempted to rob him, but failed in their quest.
“Daddy told us as soon as he got home about these youths who tried to rob him, and how he called the police on them, and they ran away shouting that they were gonna get him.”
According to the daughter, the family later received reports that the youths were from the West Demerara area, and that one of them has a ‘teardrop’ below one of his eyes.
“My mother can’t catch she self, she get blackout – she blood pressure raise and she never suffer from blood pressure. She too can’t believe he’s dead”, Mary stated quietly, wiping tears from her eyes.
She related that her father met her mother when the latter was only seventeen years old. “He was her first love, and they have been together ever since.”
That union produced four children – three boys and Mary, the only girl.
The daughter said that because her father was such a God-fearing man, he gave all his children biblical names – Elijah, Enoch, Judah and Mary.
She added that it was probably because of his love for God that he was so fearless. Hence, even though he was recently threatened during an attempted robbery, he never showed any fear, and continued about his business as usual.
Mary Lorrimer emphasised that she loved and respected her father, even though they did not always see eye to eye.
“My father was a brilliant man; he was also very hard working and loving.
His first job was as a teacher at the Mackenzie High School. He had also attended school there and he was an ‘A’ student,” Mary related proudly, smiling through her tears.
She said that after his tenure as a teacher, her father left the country and resided in the Cayman Islands for awhile, where he was very much involved in the tourism sector. He also worked at one of the KFC branches there as a manager.
Lorrimer returned to Guyana some eighteen years ago and began working as a minibus driver on the Linden /Georgetown route. He simultaneously became actively involved with church work and was later ordained as a pastor. Up to the time of his death he pastored in a church at Moblissa, Mary claimed.
SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY
The daughter further related that her father had a substantial amount of money on his person on Monday, as he had intended to transact some business in Georgetown.
She pointed out that word might have somehow gotten out, as her father was a friendly man, and may have spoken about his plans.
“Usually he would withdraw money, but he wouldn’t always do his business the same day – sometimes he would do it until the following day, so maybe somebody knew he was carrying that money.”
OWED MONEY
There are also reports from informed sources that a businessman in the Region Ten area owed Lorrimer a substantial amount of money.
According to reports, the businessman lied about his whereabouts when contacted by Lorrimer about the money.
Lorrimer was shot in the chest at around 20.00 hrs on Monday while sitting in his vehicle at the Linden bus park in Georgetown. He reportedly sustained at least two gunshot wounds. He was subsequently transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, but succumbed despite efforts to save his life.
There are reports that Lorrimer was shot after he resisted his attacker.
A female eyewitness said that she was standing nearby when she heard a gunshot. She then saw Lorrimer lying on the roadside. According to the woman, she then heard another gunshot, and saw two men on a motorcycle riding in the direction of the Stabroek Market area.

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