– as businessman discharges about 13 rounds in incident at Sarah Johanna

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF), up to late yesterday, was trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting of two elderly men of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara by 32-year-old businessman, Jai Singh.

The incident reportedly occurred early yesterday morning on the road outside the businessman’s home at Sarah Johanna, also on the East Bank of Demerara.

Details surrounding this incident were, up to press time, not very clear, as the businessman sought to defend his actions in his account to the police, while the two men who were shot are telling a different story.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the men were at a night spot somewhere along the East Bank of Demerara when the businessman, a licensed firearm holder, and another man ended up in a fight late on Sunday night. It is not clear what the fight was about, but from information received, the two men had gone to the defence of the other man.

The businessman has reportedly told the police that he was attempting to enter his premises at Land of Canaan when he was approached by five men, three of whom were armed with guns while the other two were carrying what appeared to be a pitchfork and an ice pick respectively. He said he was attempting to open his gate, but became concerned for his safety and opened fire on the approaching men, hitting two of them, while the others fled the scene.

Those injured in the shooting have been identified as 50-year-old Welton Edwards of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, who was shot once to the abdomen and once to the back; and 40-year-old Sherwin Hamilton, also of Land of Canaan, who was shot to the left side eye, abdomen, groin and knee. Both men have been hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Persons close to the shooter have disclosed that the man has stated that he was not involved in any fight prior to the incident, and that the men whom he shot were ‘known characters’ within the community who were attempting to rob him.

In doing several checks with police sources, this publication has been able to ascertain that neither of the shot men is or has ever been a person of interest to the police.

Police sources also revealed that the businessman was ‘intoxicated’ at the time of the incident. Questions are also being asked as to why the businessman discharged some 13 rounds from his weapon, reportedly emptying a magazine in the incident yesterday morning.

The man’s contention that he had been approached by five men, three of whom had guns, is also being closely scrutinised by the Police as not a single one of those men had opened fire on him.

He had also reportedly indicated that a gold coloured Avensis motor car had been parked on the opposite side of the road, and that it had sped off when he had fired the shots.

Moreover, he had reportedly indicated that the men who had been approaching him had also come from the direction in which the car had sped off.
Sources partly briefed about the entire ordeal have told this publication that, after the incident, the businessman had driven to the police station, leaving the injured men on the ground; and he does not know how they were transported to the hospital, and who had transported them.

The businessman had also indicated to persons close to him that when the men were approaching him, one was attempting to take a gun out of a haversack, and when he opened fire on them, the bag and gun were tossed aside. His contention is that someone had later returned to the scene and had retrieved the haversack and the weapon.
This publication has been reliably informed that the businessman’s weapon has been confiscated by the police, and he has been detained while investigations continue. The injured men, though hospitalised, are not considered to be in critical or life threatening condition.

(Leroy Smith)