By JUDY RATTNER
According to Baez's uncle Jeffrey Robinson, and his cousin Sharon Sheppard, the young man had been at a birthday party for his girlfriend's father, Casson White, at the community center. Robinson said that Baez had stepped outside at the request of his girlfriend, Latoya White, to put her coat in his car. As he was returning to the party, he was shot twice outside the front door of the center, struck by bullets coming from someone in a passing car, Robinson said. One bullet hit Baez in a leg, and another hit him in the heart, his uncle said.
Police responded to the call for an ambulance at 12:43 a.m. Baez, who was lying unconscious on the ground, was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital, where emergency room doctors pronounced him dead at 1:12 a.m.
By Monday morning, there was an expanding makeshift memorial of candles, flowers, balloons, notes and teddy bears, along with a few cigarettes and bottles, outside the community center. Tjuana Evans, a friend of Baez's from the neighborhood, was among those planning a prayer vigil for 8:30 that night. She said people would remember Baez and "pray for the restoration of our community."
Evans said that Baez's death was "a terrible loss, tragic. Things happen - they had a murder here last year - but we're a tight community and this has impacted everyone here, from little kids to adults. David was a baby of the neighborhood."
On Monday night, more than 50 family members, friends and neighbors turned out for the vigil for Baez. The crowd spilled out onto Centre Avenue from the front door of the community center.
Jeanne Robinson, Baez's aunt, said, "Let's live in harmony and peace, because we have overcome." She also said, "God gives us breath, but we don't take it."
As people wept and hugged one another, one 40-year community resident proclaimed, "Put the guns away, brothers and sisters. Put the guns away. Put the guns away."
"I hope this message touches the youth," said Cathy Mitchell, who was also among the grieving.
Another senior member of the community, who said he had known Baez from birth, said, "When I get 80, I'm not going to see him at 50, because he's dead now."
At a village board meeting Monday night - which took place at the same time as the prayer vigil - Mayor Mary Bossart said, "As many of you have read, 25-year-old David Baez was, tragically, shot to death on North Centre Avenue early yesterday morning. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and to the West End community. We regret we are unable to attend tonight's prayer vigil.
"Nassau County homicide investigators are being assisted by the Rockville Centre police in what are the very early stages of this investigation," Bossart added. "Everyone is working very hard to see that this case is solved as quickly as possible."
This is the second fatal shooting in the village in a year. Last June 10, 42-year-old Mark Davis of Central Islip was killed shortly after midnight near Old Mill Court.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
Andrew Vardakis contributed to this story. Comments about it?
RVCeditor @liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
