A 19-year-old guard attached to the MMC Security Force died last night after allegedly shooting himself at the company’s Happy Acres, East Coast Demerara headquarters just as he was about to go out on patrol.
Dead is Michael Thomas of Princes Street, Georgetown. The teen, who had only been working with the security service for about two months, had signed for the gun at the company’s Happy Acres head office and then walked close to the gate, where the incident occurred at about 7:50 pm.
His colleagues were in disbelief when Stabroek News visited the compound last night and a pool of blood lay close to the gate. One rank related that Thomas had only begun working there two months ago and was a patrolman. According to the rank, Thomas was working the night shift last evening and had just come in and signed for his gun. He then allegedly walked just behind the gate, put the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger.
Another of his colleague, who had transported him to the hospital related that five minutes before the incident, Thomas had told him (the colleague) that he would wait on him and give him a “drop” as he was going in his direction. The guard went into the building to change and minutes later heard the gunshot.
When he came outside, he saw the teen lying in a pool of blood.
The ranks said that Thomas had given no prior indication that he was in any way troubled. The bleeding man was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Dozens of relatives converged at the medical institution upon hearing of the young man’s demise and loud wailing ensued.
Constantly lamenting what the dead man had “gone through” one relative told this newspaper that Thomas had been a policeman before joining the MMC.
However, according to the relative, Thomas lived in Buxton at the time and was constantly “harass-ed” by persons there.
After his experiences in that community, he gave up the police uniform and went to live at Princes Street and joined the MMC Security Force.
Both relatives and colleagues questioned the reasons for the young man’s actions.
“The boy de alright, if he de going out, everybody does want wuk with he”, one of his colleagues said.
An MMC official contacted by Stabroek News at 8.10 pm was unaware of the incident. No other official was available for comment last night.
