East La Penitence man arrested with illegal gun, ammo

A 28-year-old contractor of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, is now in custody after being caught with an unlicensed 9 mm pistol and matching rounds of ammunition late Sunday night.

The suspect, Cassell Nurse, was apprehended around 23:50h on Monday in the D’Urban Backlands area. Reports indicate that lawmen on mobile patrol noticed a group of men gathered near a shop. As they approached, Nurse allegedly pulled a handgun from his waist and tossed it to the ground.
The firearm, a 9mm pistol containing 15 live rounds, was quickly retrieved by a police sergeant. When questioned, Nurse admitted that he was not a licensed firearm holder.
He was informed of the offence, cautioned, and taken into custody. At the East La Penitence Police Station, his fingerprints were collected, and the firearm was processed for latent print comparison. A search of the area turned up no spent shells.
The nurse remains in custody pending charges.
Less than a year ago, Nurse was injured during a gunfire exchange between law enforcement officers and suspected gunmen.
According to reports from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), ranks from the Brickdam Police Station were responding to information about two armed men on a motorcycle when they spotted the suspects at Robb and Alexander Streets.
Police gave chase, and the gunmen reportedly opened fire on the policemen. While on Robb Street, in the exchange of gunfire, Nurse was struck by a bullet in the left thigh.
The gunmen managed to escape, and Nurse was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted in stable condition.
While police had reported that one bullet was recovered from the scene and they were reviewing CCTV footage in the area as part of the investigation, there have been no further reports on the matter.