Man shot by bandit trying to steal car

A 50-year-old shopkeeper was left in a critical condition at around 01.00 hrs yesterday, after being shot outside his Melanie, East Coast Demerara business place, allegedly by a bandit who was trying to steal his car.
Nursing a gunshot wound to his abdomen and listed as critical is father of five Lebert Thomas, of Lot 125 Cummings Street, Buxton.
At press time, he was still attached to a life support machine in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Hospital sources said that the bullet entered Thomas’s abdomen and exited his back, damaging some of his organs.
Kaieteur News understands that the robber was trying to make off with Thomas’ vehicle and opened fire when the shopkeeper did not comply.
Jennifer Griffith, Thomas’ fiancée, told Kaieteur News that Thomas was outside of his shop, known as ‘Frontline Shop’, located at Lot 326 Melanie Cinema road, East Coast Demerara when the bandit attacked him.
“He had closed up the place and was heading to his car when his mother heard what she believed to be a firecracker, but she ran outside after hearing her son’s cries for help.”

Lebert Thomas standing next to the car that the robbers tried to take away before he was shot.

On going outside his mother, Yvonne Isaacs,
saw her son holding his shirt “and he said I just got shot, then he fell down.”
A passerby stopped to render assistance but when he stopped a car, the driver reportedly refused to put the bleeding man in his vehicle.
Thomas was eventually taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital in his own car.
“I’m so saddened and sick of the crime situation that is plaguing the country,” his fiancée said.
It is just heartbreaking and more needs to be done to fight these trigger happy robbers. We need more patrols on the East Coast.”
The woman also revealed that this is the sixth time that Thomas has been robbed in the same location.
“He has been shot twice and stabbed a total of four times on several occasions at or near the same location, plus he has a bullet lodged in his hip from being robbed at the same location too.”
“On other occasions he was robbed of jewellery and cash but while persons were questioned for the first robbery no one was ever charged or prosecuted.”
(Mondale Smith)