Businessman among two shot during failed Regent St. robbery
A businessman and a father of two were shot yesterday during a botched robbery outside of a general
Narine Samsadeen
store on Regent Street, Georgetown. The incident occurred a little after 12:30 hrs.
The victims are Shazam Alli, a businessman of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) and Narine Samsadeen, 30, of Parika Backdam, EBE.
The businessman was shot to the foot and is hospitalized at a private hospital while Samsadeen was shot to the abdomen and is a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Samsadeen is said to be in a critical condition at the hospital. When this newspaper visited the hospital yesterday, he was in the theatre.
Samsadeen’s father-in-law, Fazal Ali works for the businessman. At the time of the robbery, he was just lending a helping hand.
This newspaper was told that the 30-year-old man had an errand to run in the city and took a drop from the businessman early yesterday but eventually stayed to help out.
According to information received, the businessman buys grocery in Georgetown and sells in the interior. It is believed that he was traced after leaving a gold and diamond dealer in the city.
Police in a release said that an armed man exited a motor vehicle at Regent Street and discharged several rounds at Samadeen Alli and escaped in the motor vehicle.
“He (Samsadeen) doesn’t work with us. He had to buy something and he decided to stay and help us. We were buying stocks to take in the bush,” Ali said.
He explained that they had gone to the store to purchase a freezer. I was moving a bag of rice from the truck to put the freezer at the bottom when I hear gunshots and then I see two men run pass me,” Ali recalled.
The man explained that his son-in-law was at the top of the truck helping out while the businessman was now exiting the store. “I don’t think they got anything because when they left, he (businessman) still had his bag on him.”
“They shoot Narine first and the boss man run and they fired a shot at him,” Ali said.
No one has been arrested as yet. This newspaper was told that investigators will be reviewing the store’s surveillance cameras.
Investigations are ongoing.