Two bandits yesterday trailed a money-changer from America Street and when he reached his North Sophia destination, fired four shots at him before escaping with an undisclosed amount of local and foreign currency and his licensed firearm.
Injured is Farouk Bacchus, 29, of La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara who was shot in the left shoulder and the upper left leg. At press time last evening he was still receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital and his condition was listed as stable.
From accounts by the residents in the area, the men, after shooting Bacchus and grabbing their booty, ran a short distance to a car which was parked on the Eastern Highway.
Up to press time last evening police were still looking for those behind the well-planned attack.
When Stabroek News turned up at the medical institution about fifteen minutes after Bacchus had arrived, many of his relatives and friends were gathered anxiously awaiting word on his condition.
According to the reports Stabroek News received, Bacchus left America Street around minutes to three, heading to North Sophia where his wife and daughter were attending a religious function. As he neared the house, two men accosted him and after ordering him out of his car, PKK 1570, the men started ransacking the vehicle.
After the men realized that Bacchus was attempting to get his .32 licensed pistol, he was shot twice before his pockets were searched as he lay face-down on the road.
The men then ran from the scene discharging several more rounds into the air, this newspaper understands.
Bacchus told investigators that he was driving along the street (in North Sophia), when two young men walked past his vehicle. He had slowed to a crawl as horse carts and concrete blocks were on the sides of the road. According to him, one of them pulled out a hand gun and ordered him to stop and they both approached his vehicle with the weapon aimed at him. He was ordered out of his vehicle, he said, and the men proceeded to search his car.
According to Bacchus, one of the men noticed that he was pulling out his gun from his pocket and before he could do anything, one of them started to fire at him.
After he fell to ground, his gun skidded under his car and one of the men retrieved it before they rifled through his pockets.
This newspaper was told that the man said that he had thousands of dollars in his pockets which included foreign currency and this and the gun were taken by the men.
At the scene, many residents said that all they remembered was hearing gunshots followed by people scattering. The house Bacchus was visiting was locked up and no one appeared to be at home, when this newspaper visited.
Stabroek News was told by a man who was visiting the area that he was in a house when he heard a loud explosion which he thought was electricity wires sparking. On looking out he said he saw a man lying face down beside a white car and two men running away, one of them had a `small’ gun in his hand and a bag that appeared to be black and white in colour. The men then jumped into a car that was parked on the Eastern Highway, a short distance from Pike Street.
Another resident of the area helped Bacchus who was conscious back into his car and drove him to the hospital. (Zoisa Fraser)