State House shooting: Attacker slapped with attempted murder charge, remanded
The Nigerian national who attempted to invade State House in December 2022 has been discharged from the hospital, and has been slapped with two charges in relation to the incident.
Bethel Ikena Chinezie has been charged with attempting to commit murder and with discharging a loaded firearm with intent. The 25-year-old appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was not required to plead to the indictable charges. He has been remanded to prison, and the case will continue on January 26.
Bethel Ikena Chinezie being lifted out of court on Thursday
On the morning of Thursday, December 15, 2022, Chinezie presented himself at a southern guard hut at State House, located near Carmichael Street, with a demand to see the President.
Cautioned about having to be processed before entering the compound, Chinezie resisted being so processed, before whipping out a knife from a pouch he was carrying and using same to stab one of the guards, Teon Perreira, five times about his body and to his neck. After injuring Perreira, Chinezie relieved a female guard of her firearm and retreated from the guard hut.
It was then that shots rang out in the usually quiet neighbourhood, much to the alarm of those residing in the environs. Civilian videos of the ordeal captured Chinezie walking backwards from the guard hut while continuing to exchange gunfire with the Presidential Guards and other ranks.
The severely injured Nigerian national was later surrounded, intercepted, and disarmed by ranks; and both he and the injured guard were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for immediate medical attention. Chinezie was placed on life support, while Perreira was treated and admitted as a patient. He was later discharged.
At the scene of the shooting, Police ranks retrieved a 9mm pistol and seven 9mm spent shells. While there were no other injuries reported, there was visible damage to nearby business entities.
It was reported that Chinezie was at the time employed with a cleaning service company. He arrived in Guyana on March 13, 2020, and previously worked at a security company.
