The son of a 68-year-old health officer who was gunned down near his Tacarigua home on Tuesday afternoon says law-abiding citizens are doing all that they can to protect themselves, and called on the authorities to do a better job of protecting the public.

Police said Dharan Manoo was shot dead near his Beccles Street home at around 5.30 pm on Tuesday. A relative heard the gunshots and saw Manoo bleeding in the street.

Police went to the area with a district medical officer, who declared Manoo dead.

Up to Wednesday afternoon investigators did not have a motive for the murder.

Newsday visited and spoke with Manoo's oldest son, Ian Manoo, who said he was also baffled.

Asked what more he felt the public could do to protect themselves from criminals, Manoo said the public were already doing more than what was required of them and called on the police to step up.

He said his father's murder was a reflection of the state of crime.

"At the end of the day, I am severely bothered by this, and it is an indictment on the condition of this country with crime.

"I have no idea why this happened. It's Christmas time; I don't know if someone tried to rob him or something. I don't know.

"I think the average citizen actually does more than they are supposed to do. The onus is on us a little too much now. The State and the authorities need to step up their game and be more vigilant to make people feel safer as well. We are doing our part. The responsibility is on them now to do their part."

Manoo said the area, one of the streets north of the Eastern Main Road. did not have a lot of crime.

His father worked as a health officer under the port health department of the Ministry of Health and was assigned to Piarco Airport. His son said Manoo retired a few years ago but remained on contract.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said Manoo enjoyed joking and exercising and remembered seeing him going to the nearby Eddie Hart Savannah to jog.

"He was a really pleasant person. This is a really quiet place, so the fact that this happened so close to the main road, where there is so much activity on an afternoon, is even more shocking."

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