A lone gunman walked up to a man at a St Augustine panyard/mechanics centre yesterday and shot him dead.

Police said that, just before 3 p.m. Kester Reid, of Five Rivers, Arouca, was at the compound of the Sforzata panyard, Evans Street, St Augustine, which also houses a large car-care centre. He was employed there as one of the service technicians.

Just before being ambushed, police said that he was standing outside the entrance of the compound speaking to someone on his cellular phone.

While engaged in the call a man walked up from behind him and shot him several times. Reid fell and died on the spot. The gunman was later seen running off and getting into a gold-coloured Nissan Almera which then sped off.

The Express arrived on the scene around 4.30 p.m. but relatives who present declined comment.

Police described the killing as a “hit”.

The murder toll stood at 516 up to last night, while the toll on this date last year was 542.