Businessman killed by bandits during brazen robbery

… returned fire at bandits before dying
…killed suspected bandit identified as GDF rank

By Kristen Macklingam

A brazen daylight robbery on Monday morning has left a businessman and a suspected bandit dead.

Dead is businessman Deon Stoll, called “Mow”, 44, of Charity village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and also of Barima Avenue, Bel Air, Georgetown. Also dead is suspected bandit, 18-year-old Olijah Chesney, a rank of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Two other persons, the businessman’s driver – 45-year-old Clayton Powley of Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown – and a security guard at El Dorado Trading were also shot.
Reports are the businessman arrived at the El Dorado Trading establishment at approximately 10:20h in DaSilva Street, Newtown, Kitty, and as he was about to exit the car, two gunmen who arrived in a white car, opened fire on him and his driver.
A review of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage showed that Stoll was sitting in the front passenger seat in a motor car (PPP 6727) driven by Powley, when the duo arrived at the front of the El Dorado Trading premises. A white Toyota motor car with tinted windows that had appeared to be trailing Stoll’s vehicle also stopped across the road from the business place seconds later. Stoll had earlier visited a business place on Sheriff Street, whence he collected an undisclosed sum of money.

Two gunmen donning handkerchiefs to conceal their faces jumped out of the car and rushed towards Stoll’s car. One gunman opened the door at the driver’s side and a scuffle began between him and Powley, who soon exited the vehicle to better defend himself. Powley received a gunshot wound to his arm in the process while his assailant rushed back to the waiting white Toyota motor car.
The other gunman, suspected to be the now dead GDF rank, rushed to the front-seat passenger door, and opened it before attempted to snatch something from Stoll. The businessman also appeared to have been putting up a fight from inside of the vehicle but was shot to his stomach. His shooter was unable to grab anything from the car. As he attempted to run away, the injured Stoll returned fire with his handgun. The CCTV footage showed that the gunman was shot twice by Stoll. Both times he stumbled as he escaped into the awaiting motor car which sped away.

The CCTV footage showed Stoll clinging to his stomach as he fell on the ground. Security personnel attached to the El Dorado Trading, along with residents in the neighbourhood rushed to aid Stoll and Powley. They managed to transport the injured men to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for emergency treatment. However, Stoll succumbed at the hospital. The security from El Dorado Trading was later transferred to a private city hospital, while Powley remains a patient at GPHC.
When this newspaper arrived at the scene, resident said that heard gun shots being fired.

Suspected bandit
Meanwhile, less than two hours after the shooting incident, the body of the suspected injured gunman was found at Tucville Squatting Area, Georgetown. He was clad in a navy blue jersey and white t-shit along with black pants. A purple shirt was seen lying next to his body. This is similar clothing to that of the gunman who had earlier shot Stoll.

According to the police, the dead man is a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank of “D” Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
“I was inside preparing lunch and I heard a noise like when a whistling thunder (explosive) goes off…But a big man came at my gate and called and asked me how come I didn’t know a body was laying right near my house and that is when I know. The lady whose house is opposite from where he was found was the one who discovered him but she is at work now and I can tell you, he was found dead, he was not alive,” a Tucville Squatting Area resident said.
This newspaper was told that the suspected bandit’s accomplices may have dumped him there after he died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
Police have since launched an investigation.