A 23-year-old Guyanese man was shot and killed on Wednesday in Cayenne, French Guiana.
The dead man has been identified as Andrew Nathaniel James of Victoria, East Coast Demerara.
James was reportedly at his apartment when gunmen opened fire. Another person was injured and taken to hospital. Details surrounding the shooting remain unclear, and French authorities are investigating.
Relatives and friends gathered in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil in James’s memory.
His mother, Ecua Griffith, spoke tearfully about their close relationship and said her son had telephoned her every morning.
“Every morning my son would talk to me. I keep calling his phone,” she said.
Griffith recalled speaking to James on the morning of his death. She described him as intelligent and encouraging, saying that he had urged her to further her education and pursue teaching.
“My son motivates me,” she said. “He said, ‘Mommy, don’t be afraid. God is with you.’”
According to Griffith, James had planned for them to visit Guyana for Christmas before returning to the United States in January.
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