Relatives claim dead bandit was “no thief”

– but Police confirm he was fingered in several armed robberies

One day after a bandit was shot and killed by a businessman during an attempted robbery at Houston, Greater Georgetown, his relatives are holding out that he was no thief.
Gary Koster, 38, of Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was shot twice on Friday.

It was reported that Koster, along with an accomplice on a black and grey CG motorcycle, CH 2167, had trailed a 48-year-old businessman of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara and attacked him, but in retaliation the businessman pulled out his licenced .32 Taurus revolver and discharged several rounds in the direction of the alleged bandits.

One of the bullets struck Koster to his left-side temple and another to his neck, while his accomplice fled the scene on foot.
At the home of the dead man, his mother, Desiree Koster-Dainty said she was at her home in Diamond, EBD, when she received a telephone call from her son’s wife, who informed her that he was shot and killed.
She immediately rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where her son was taken only to find his motionless body lying on a stretcher.
“I don’t know… all they tell me is some robbery and meh son was there, I don’t know what to say… I ain’t swearing, I don’t know because children is people and when they leave you, you don’t know what they would do… I don’t know,” she cried as she stood in front of her son’s house on Saturday. In the same breath, she said that her son was “no thief.”
She however stated that her son, who is reportedly a vendor, was in the process of building his house. On this note, she explained that after the shooting incident, the man’s wife reportedly removed all the household items from the house.
The aggrieved mother nevertheless called on the Police to investigate the shooting incident thoroughly.
An aunt of the dead man said she last saw her nephew alive about a week ago when he visited her at her home. She described him as a “law-abiding citizen”.
While at Norton Street, Bagotstown, an uncle who asked to remain anonymous recalled the now dead man leaving home at about 13:30h. At the time, the uncle was looking after a radiator, but as usual, Koster never says where he was going.
While he could not vow for the deceased’s way of life, he noted that there are certain things he cannot comment on, but was sure that he lived a life to suit himself. The uncle also could not confirm if his nephew had any run-ins with the law.
Meanwhile, the Police have confirmed that the now dead man was fingered in several armed robberies. At the scene on Friday, the Police retrieved one 9mm and three .32 spent shells. The one 9mm spent shell, Police disclosed, was fired from a gun the dead man’s accomplice was carrying.
During the attempted robbery, the gunman dealt one blow to the businessman’s face, while at the same time discharging a round but the bullet missed its intended target. It was at this time, the businessman whipped out his firearm and fired three shots, with two hitting Koster who fell to the ground.
The Police are hunting for the second bandit who escaped in the bushes through the Mc Doom area.