Shock over slay of foreman in Bronx

A construction foreman who helped his neighbors find work was shot dead around the corner from his Bronx home, in what his grief-stricken family fears was a case of mistaken identity.

Rashidi Goddard, 34, and a second man were shot on Franklin Ave. near E. 167th St. in Morrisania about 10:10 p.m. Monday. At least one assailant fired before running off.

Goddard was struck in the back and hip. He died at the scene.

The other victim, also 34, was hit multiple times in the upper body. He was rushed by medics to Lincoln Hospital in critical condition.

“My brother was a hardworking construction man, a laborer,” Goddard’s brother, Ira Goddard, told the Daily News Tuesday. “He had his work clothes on. It was a case of mistaken identity. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Goddard’s bother believes the other victim may have been the shooters’ intended target. An NYPD spokesman had no information on a motive Tuesday night.

The victim was a devoted father to his 7-year-old son, Goddard’s

brother said.

“I’m still processing it in my head,” Ira Goddard said. “It’s crazy. When I got the call I couldn’t believe it. Not my brother!”

Garvin Smalls, 30, a friend visiting a makeshift shrine to Goddard, called the slain man a skilled plumber and welder.

“He could weld, deal with plumbing. He could do everything. He helped me get my [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] qualification so I could work,” Smalls said. “Everyone who grew up in the neighborhood, if they were serious, he would get them on the job. He gave people work.”