– guns, ammo stolen
A 56-year-old security guard/driver employed with Correia’s Mining Company & Security Firm was early yesterday morning shot and killed by unidentified gunmen during an armed robbery at the Trans Guyana Airways, Ogle Airport, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is Solomon Burke of  Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara.

According to a police report, the incident occurred at about 03:45 hrs yesterday morning at Correia’s Mining Company Office and Security Office at Ogle Airport, ECD, during which four men armed with firearms broke into the Security Office and carried away two Remington 12 gauge shotguns and 37 cartridges, two .32 Taurus pistols and a number of rounds, and four bullet-proof vests.

Police said the gunmen also broke into the Office (at Trans Guyana Airways – said to be a sister company of Coreia’s) and took away $100,000 and an electronic scale for weighing minerals.

The body of Burke – who was employed as a security guard and driver attached to Correia Mining Company, was found with a suspected gunshot wound to his left-side chest in the company’s motor vehicle which was parked in the vicinity.

Police said one of the stolen bullet-proof vest was recovered a short distance away as the investigations continue.

The Chronicle was unable to reach management officials from Correia’s for a comment. However, Captain Gerald Gouveia of Roraima Airways, which is also based at Ogle, expressed shock, and literally cringed at the thought that a security breach had actually happened at the airport.

Gouveia said this is a very serious matter.

Meanwhile,  the deeply distraught reputed wife of the murdered security guard/driver, Ms. Donna Harris, still tearful and in a state of shock when visited by this newspaper, recalled that she received a phone call from her husband’s employers a little before 6:00 hrs yesterday, requesting her to visit her husband’s work place immediately.

Nervous and trying to figure what the motive was, she said soon after, she received a phone call from a neighbour. It was a call to inform her that there was a robbery at her husband’s workplace and that he had been shot.

On receiving the news, she screamed and collapsed.  Later, she was accompanied to the City by her brother, Kwame.

Their initial visits to the Georgetown Public Hospital and the Lyken’s funeral parlour, yielded nothing, but after leaving Lyken’s – the parlour later phoned her to say that the body was on its way there from the Ogle airport.

Shortly after that, the body was taken to Lyken’s, accompanied by the police. Relatives recalled seeing the gunshot wound, but became hysterical and were unable to look further.

Burke’s grief stricken wife, Donna, who described him as a  pleasant, very loving and jovial person, recounted that  on Sunday afternoon, he left home in good sorts to proceed on the 7 to 7 (19:00 hrs – 07:00 hrs)  shift and she had no doubt that he would be back home by 08:00 hrs yesterday.

But on this occasion, it was different. She said her husband had worked with the security firm for almost five years and had a good record, but a few days ago he had a problem with a staff member and was recommended for one week’s suspension. Ironically, he received the letter on Friday and was due to proceed on suspension with effect from today (Tuesday).

Prior to working with Correia’s Security firm, Burke was a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and retired as a Corporal.

Burke, also called ‘Chaster’, hails from Mahaicony where he was said to be “very popular and well liked”.  At Vigilance yesterday, neighbours lamented his death, recalling what a jovial person he was and always kind to children in the neighbourhood.

He is survived by his reputed wife Donna, three children, father Solomon Burke (Senior) of Mahaicony, five sisters and four brothers and other relatives.