The owner of G A Mining Company is now nursing two gunshot wounds to his legs after he was shot while attempting to prevent a robbery in the vicinity of his High Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, business on Wednesday.
The identity of the man has not being released to the media but Guyana Times understands that he is in stable condition at a private medical institution.
An eyewitness told this newspaper that at about 13:30h, he was in the company of his brother and the now injured businessman when he heard screams emanating from the direction of Silvies Auto Parts. The eyewitness said that they noticed an armed man attempting to relieve another man of the bag he was carrying.
Upon seeing this, the businessman went into his store, collected his licensed firearm and returned. “When he come back, he point he gun to the bandit and ordered him to leave the man he was holding onto but within a couple of seconds, another man ran out of the Auto Store and discharged several rounds in our direction… we ran but subsequently realised that the businessman was shot,” the eyewitness added.
The two men then relieved the customer of his bag and made good their escape on foot. Out of fear, the customer panicked and reportedly left in a waiting car. Guyana Times understands that the bag contained an undisclosed sum of cash.
However, the eyewitness who asked for anonymity stated that soon after, two Police ranks with M-60 rifles arrived at the scene.
“As the Police were approaching the scene, two bandits and them crossed path… when they come, they claimed that they heard sounds of squibs and they came to investigate… It was then the officers realise that it was a robbery but instead of calling for backup, they went into the Silvies Auto Parts, saw the spent shells and left the scene”.
The injured man, he noted, was picked up and rushed to a private hospital where he was admitted. He claimed that the man was shot to both legs.
However, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the incident occurred but stated that based on reports furnished to him, the businessman was shot to his left leg and not both as was reported by the eyewitness. He noted that an investigation has been launched into the shooting incident but also noted that the robbery was not reported to the Police.