Man shot dead in ‘friendly scuffle’

Police are questioning three friends as they investigate the fatal shooting of their colleague under suspicious circumstances on Friday afternoon.
Dead is 39-year-old gold miner Nafasie Edghill, who succumbed while receiving treatment at a private city hospital for a gunshot wound to his abdomen, which he sustained hours earlier.
Police were told that he was shot while he and a friend were playfully scuffling outside the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
According to a police press release, around 15:00h Friday, Nafasie Edghill, 39, of Castello Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was at Mon Repos, ECD, when he became involved in a playful scuffle with a friend, who is a licensed firearm holder and had the firearm in his hand at the time, when a round is reported to have been accidentally discharged. The bullet struck Edghill to his abdomen.
The licensed firearm holder and two other men who were in his company at the time have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations.
This newspaper was told that the Edghill and three other men were together in a car. They went to the NARI compound to locate another man who owed one of them some money.
Two of the men went into the compound while Edghill and the shooter remained in the back seat of the car.
According to a source, Edghill and his friend began tantalizing each other and this turned into a playful scuffle.
It is alleged that Edghill subsequently grew impatient at the two other men who went into the NARI compound and took a while to return.
He came out of the car and was going after them, when it is alleged that his friend tried the restrain him.
It was during this scuffle that a round went off and Edghill fell to the ground, clutching his abdomen.
According to an eyewitness, the two other men who had gone into the NARI compound, heard the shot and rushed out to investigate.
They found Edghill lying on the ground with his friend standing next to him with his .32 pistol in his hand.
“He (Edghill) turn to one ah dem and say, ‘Buck, I get shoot bai!’” the eyewitness told this newspaper.
He said that the wounded man was placed in the car which sped off.
“I hear he tellin dem he can’t mek it and they must take care of he family,” the eyewitness said.
Kaieteur News understands that all the men, including Edghill, are licensed firearm holders.
Investigators are examining all the weapons as they rigorously probe the circumstances surrounding the shooting