LAN Barker alias ‘Blam’ and ‘Fast Walk’ was shot dead early Wednesday morning, outside the popular Pearl’s Bakery and ‘Jamrock’ Enterprises on D’Urban Street, near the junction with Hardina Street, in Wortmanville.

The bottle vendor, of Lot 47 Phase Two, East Ruimveldt, also in Georgetown, was the son of Dotsy Crandon of Trinidad and Alan Barker (Snr) of East Ruimveldt.
The deceased man’s grieving sister, Alexis Weekes, who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle, said the information she received from a friend who was with him when the shooting happened, is that the two of them had gone to Pearl’s Bakery to collect tennis rolls and the incident occurred around 07:00 hrs.
She said Pearl’s Bakery would, usually, give a bag of tennis rolls to underprivileged persons early in the mornings and, on Wednesday, the two men turned up to collect some but had arrived too early.
Whilst waiting, Barker saw two Guinness stout bottles and a Premium beer bottle and went for them. He picked up the Guinness one, threw it into his cart and was going after the Premium when, according to the friend, Barker passed close to a post where a Rasta man had his bird in a cage.
He said the Rasta man rudely admonished Barker to move away from near his bird, threatening to burst his face. The witness said the Rasta man ‘pelt a cuff’ at Barker who
moved aside. The Rasta man became incensed, drew a gun with which he lashed Barker in the back of his head as he was walking away.

SAW SMOKE
The man said, at that instant, he saw smoke issuing from
Barker’s head and the latter fell to the ground. The terrified man who was with Barker quickly called out to a nearby security guard, asking him to help get the Police or an ambulance to convey the wounded man to hospital but the  guard did not offer any assistance.
The narrator, who did not want his name mentioned, said he, frantically, began calling on other persons who had ventured out on hearing the gunshots, but none responded. It was a very long time after that the police arrived on the scene and the undertakers from Lyken’s Funeral Parlour got there after it was ascertained that the wounded man had died.
Next to the dead man was the hand cart he used to collect bottles, scrap metal and other items with which he plied his trade.
Barker leaves to mourn, his parents, 14 children and several siblings.
Meanwhile, the shooter was arrested and taken to Brickdam Police Station.