A 22-year-old man is now nursing a gunshot wound to his toe after he was shot when three armed men invaded his family’s Westminster, West Bank Demerara (WBD) business place on Tuesday and made good their escape with over 0,000 in cash and valuables.
Reports are that about 09:30h, three armed bandits invaded the popular “White Shop” and demanded cash and valuables.
Speaking with this publication, Narindra Narine said that he was in the shop when the three men entered posing as customers. He told Guyana Times that the men requested to buy plantain and as he was weighing the item, they forced their way into the shop and held him up at gunpoint. He added that the men then took him into the house along with his father and began beating them while ransacking the room for cash.
“Them man take a gun and lash me to me head and them man kick up me father. I had on two gold ring and a silver band and them take it and they went inside the room and ransack the place, carry way some cash and some jewellery,” he related.
Narine said after the trio emptied the cash register in the shop, they left calmly. However, Narine began to hurl glass bottles and stones at them and in retaliation, the men began firing gunshots in his direction hitting his brother, Suraj Narine, in the toe.
“A car was coming through the street at the same time and they held the driver at gunpoint, them man take he and the vehicle and them man drive come straight up. When them man drive straight up coming out, them start firing shot and one of the shots end up hit my brother on he toe and he toe end up buss way and them man drive and gone in new road deh and make good them escape,” Narine said.
Suraj Narine was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he is receiving medical attention. However, this publication understands that his toe may have to be amputated owing to the extent of the injury.
Narine said shortly after the gunmen left, ranks from the La Grange Police Station arrived and were able to recover the hijacked vehicle, PWW 1516, which was found parked a few streets away. When this newspaper visited the scene, the officers were observed dusting the car for fingerprints.
The family said that in the 10 years they have been operating in the area, this is the first time they have been robbed. They added that they have security cameras. They are taking extra security precautions and are calling for regular Police patrols in the area, since robberies are becoming a norm in the housing settlement.
Residents who witnessed the ordeal said that one of the gunmen was from the area and would frequent the shop to purchase items. The Police said that their investigations were continuing.
