IN light of the recent ‘shoot out’ at Onderneeming, Red Village Sand Pit, Region Two, residents are calling for a police outpost and an increase police presence in their community. The residents have been requesting a police outpost for years in an effort to boost security in the area.

As recent as Wednesday last, three families were awakened by loud sounds of gunshots in the wee hours of the morning. All of them were awakened by shots fired at their homes. The windscreens of their vehicles were broken by gunshots fired by mask men who invaded the community. The men are still on the run and are said to be hiding in the backlands of Onderneeming Sandpit. To date, police have not apprehended anyone in connection to the ‘shoot outs’.

Relating their stories, a 39-year-old housewife, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her family was awakened by a loud explosive sound on their rooftop. She said for a moment, she thought someone pelted her roof with a brick. However, her husband, who is a security guard, told her it was a gunshot.

“We immediately took my four children and we went and hide. We were so fearful, it was around 03:00hrs in the morning when we went downstairs we saw we clothes gone and they were burnt,” the woman related.

After 20 minutes of terrorising her family, the gunmen then went to the home of Shannon Success. Success said she too heard a bullet crashing through her window. She lives with her 13-year-old daughter. She also related that she has been living in the community for five years and had never witnessed such a horrifying incident.

After shooting at Success’s home, the men then targeted a 38-year-old woman and her husband. This couple was robbed three times since they lived in the community. Fortunately, when they contacted police, they responded promptly since they were in the area investigating the two other shootings.

Residents are calling on the relevant authorities, including the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and commander of ‘G’ Division, Crytal Robinson, to look into their community and provide security so that residents can feel safer.