A Bronx taxi cab driver, Mamadou Barry, was shot at 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21. Barry was an immigrant from Guinea in West Africa who arrived in the United States 15 years ago.
The NYPD states that the shooter was a passenger who Barry picked up close to E. 138th street and Brook Avenue in Mott Haven. The passenger first wanted to go to Fordham Road and Andrews Avenue, but then asked Barry to make a stop for food. Following the stop, Barry and the passenger had a disagreement about the fare, according to NY Daily News. This ultimately lead to Barry's death.
Barry was speaking with his brother-in-law, before he was shot in the head and killed. "I was on the phone with him. He tells me the guy has a gun. I said, 'be careful, OK?' He says 'OK,'" said Augustine Mampassi, according to ABC 7 News. This occurred after Barry picked up a late fare. He died close to Fordham University at 1:30 a.m.
"He was killed simply for working and for someone else wanting to take his belongings, this is unacceptable," said Fernando Mateo, of the NYS Federation of Taxi Drivers. This shooting was the eighth one in New York City since Saturday.
A father of three with an expecting wife, Barry's family expressed a lot of grief after hearing the news. "He loved me, he loved me, he loved me, he loved me," his wife said, the tears streaming, as the relatives and friends around her also started to cry, according to The New York Times. His wife will now have to raise their children without a father.
