Relative of man fatally shot: “God took another angel’

Two people who identified themselves as the adopted son and a step-daughter of a Hood County man who died April 20 after being shot while working as a taxi service driver in Mesquite called the Hood County News Friday to say that they knew 58-year-old Robert Douglas Berry as a person who “had no enemies.”

Kathy White, who said she was Berry’s step-daughter, said of the ongoing investigation, “All I know is that they are looking for a few suspects.”

The man who said he was Berry’s adopted son said Berry had no enemies, and added, “He was a very gentle, kind man. He would give you the shirt off his back, and the last $20 out of his pocket. It was an innocent man who was shot, and God took another angel home.”

White added, “He was a very kind-hearted man, and he was doing his job.”

Although White said there were “a lot of discrepancies” in the initial Metroplex news media reports, she didn’t want to disclose any information that might hinder the Mesquite Police Department’s investigation. The first news reports stated that Berry suffered a fatal gunshot wound Tuesday evening while driving on the exit ramp from northbound I-635 to westbound I-30 in Mesquite. Police officers were called to the scene shortly before 7:30 p.m. Berry was transported to a hospital, where he died.

Media reports indicated that at the time of the incident Berry was transporting a passenger in his vehicle, and that passenger called 911 and reported that the driver (Berry) had been shot by someone who was in a passing vehicle.

The HCN submitted an information request to the Mesquite Police on Thursday, but no response had been received by Friday afternoon.

White said that when she got official notification that Berry had passed away, “I lost it. He cared for me like I was his own daughter.”

Berry was born in Leonard, Texas and attended school there. He had lived in Hood County since about 2019, she said. He began working as a Lyft (similar to Uber) driver in early 2019 before taking a break to do other work during the COVID-19 outbreak. After the severe winter storm in February, he started back again working as a driver for Lyft — a job that took him on jobs across the Metroplex, from Benbrook all the way to Mesquite east of Dallas, White said. 

White noted that a memorial service will be held, possibly on Thursday, but details have not been set.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment in this case. Crime Stoppers can be reached by calling 1-877-373-8477. Information on the incident can also be called in to the Mesquite Police Department, at 972-285-6336.