A community is mourning the death of a "gentle giant" who was killed working at a Bridgeport construction site and struggling to understand why a stranger would gun him down.
Jose Araujo, 30, was working with Burns Construction Company in the area of Chopsey Hill Road and Pond Street when Gregory Weathers, 33, shot him to death, according to police. Authorities said the men had never before met.
According to police, Weathers asked the foreman for a job, then left when he was directed to the company office. He returned minutes later with a gun and targeted Araujo for what police said was "no apparent reason."
"We lost a father, we lost a son, we lost a brother, we lost a great guy," said John Gomes, who described his late friend as "loved by everyone."
"He's always smiling, everywhere he goes, always smiling, laid back and willing to help others," Gomes recalled. "That was the thing about him: he was quiet in his own ways, but he had a strong presence."
Gomes said Araujo, like himself, immigrated from Cape Verde in search of a better life and worked hard to provide for his family.
"Today is a sad, sad day for Bridgeport," he said.
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Another friend, Nilton Dossanots, called Araujo a "great guy, hardworking guy, family guy, loving guy."
Even Police Chief Joseph Gaudett was at a loss for words. He shook his head at a news conference on Thursday and said investigators are baffled by the "senseless tragedy" that took the life of an innocent man.
"What is the motive? Why would someone walk up to a laborer standing in the trench just doing his job, put five bullets in him and kill him?" Gaudett wondered.
Weathers is due in Superior Court on Friday.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Araujo's family. The Cape Verde Association is also accepting donations. You can send a check to:
235 Linen Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
