Gunmen kill one in Buxton
Died during a shootout with members of the joint services in Buxton. A soldier was injured.
By Kim Lucas and
Oscar P. Clarke
RM was confirmed dead and i shot in the head as I fire last night in the village of Buxton. East Coast Demerara, the dead man been identified, but he was found on the
Railway embankment, in front of Lumber Yard in clad in American type camouflage clothing and a bullet proof vest.
Chaos broke out in the troubled adjoining villages once more at about 6:30 pm, just as final preparation were being made for the commencement of a peace concert on the
Railway embankment at Buxton. The concert went. The concert went on as planned. Stabroek News understands that a silver grey pick-up vehicle, bearing licence plate DFD 4793, was seen passing through the village of Buxton at about 6:30 pm, moments before a loud explosion was heard.
Residents claimed that a group of men in the pick-up lobbed a grenade somewhere at the back of the village and then started shooting, causing persons to dash for cover.
“It [the pick-up] went up to Brushe Dam, then turn back [towards the city]… rapid gunfire. I was on the steps when the vehicle sped past… It came back shooting, so 1 dashed inside and lie down and tell everybody to stay down,” one resident said.
Several residents said the attackers were dressed in camouflage clothing. Up to press time, Stabroek News was unable to verify who the shooters were or whom they were targeting. Sometime during the shooting incident, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Private Thomas, 20, was shot in the forehead and had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public
Hospital Corporation. Hospital sources told this newspaper that his condition was listed as critical and that he had to undergo emergency surgery.
Up to late last night, the army was still trying to ascertain the circumstances under which
Thomas was shot. Officials told this newspaper that there were conflicting reports regarding the incident.
One rank said a carload of men drove through the village and opened fire on villagers, hitting Thomas in the process. However, the rank said another account seemed to suggest that a group of men in an open-back pick-up might have launched the attack on the army patrol. Residents last night claimed that both a pick-up and a car might have been involved in the shooting.
Army personnel who were up to late last night still combing the villages found the pick-up abandoned at the junction of Wilkens and Post Office streets. Sources said the vehicle was facing south and that no weapons were found in it.
Some residents told the soldiers that three men were seen running from the abandoned vehicle. They surmised that the dead man might have been shot in the vicinity of Wilkens street and then dragged to the embankment. Stabroek News understands that the dead man was shot several times to the back of the head. His clothing was covered with mud.
Army sources said the dead man was about 5ft 7 inches tall, dark in complexion, bald headed and of African descent.
He was clad in a pair of ‘hard’ pants and an American – type camouflage shirt. He was not wearing any footwear when found.
