AS relatives buried the two fishermen who were shot and killed by armed men on Thursday at Shell Beach, residents of the area remain puzzled about the motive for the killings.
At the same time, some suggest that the men may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The men’s remains were buried on Saturday.

Reports are that the men, Ian and Rakesh Mathias , 33 and 38 respectively, were killed by pirates and post-mortems conducted on the men indicated that they were shot multiple times and chopped about their bodies.

The men resided at Father’s Beach, a section of the Shell Beach Protected Area, which lies some six to seven miles from the mouth of the Moruca River.

Community Development Officer for the area, Genevieve Vansluytman, told the Guyana Chronicle that the incident was puzzling. According to reports, earlier in the year, the residents were told that persons were being robbed several miles from the area in question and as such, the villagers were cautioned about such eventualities.
Residents of the area noted that the two brothers were setting their seine a short distance from their home at Father’s Beach, when they were attacked by armed men. Their mother heard loud screams from the area, after a speed boat pulled up in the area where her sons were.

Police Commander Wendell Blanhum told the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, that “rapid gunfire” was heard in the area where the two brothers were on Wednesday afternoon, sometime between 15:00hrs and 15:45hrs. After the gunshots subsided, the speedboat sped off, family members reported. The men’s bodies floated up on Thursday morning. There are unconfirmed reports that the gunmen encountered another relative of the slain men the day before, on Tuesday, but this could not be confirmed.

Several years ago, the waters off the Shell Beach area as well as the Waini , were hotspots for pirates. Given the economic situation in Venezuela, residents of the area are concerned that the busy waterway may be targeted by criminal elements.