A 15-year-old of Block ‘R’, North Sophia was fatally shot in the left eye during an attempted robbery in the neighbourhood last night.
Warren Scotland sustained a single gunshot to the left eye when two men armed with guns attempted to rob a family in the area shortly before 8 pm. Scotland, several residents stated, may have recognized the attackers.
According to residents, Scotland was an innocent bystander at a gambling table just across the street from a North Sophia shop in which several men were drinking.
“We been in de shop just about to start drinking a quarter high wine,” a man, who was in the shop at the time of the incident, said. “All of a sudden I see two men rush up to this gambling table, they had ah lil confusion and all I hear is bow! bow!”
The man told this newspaper that the gunmen were not wearing masks during the attack. It was a usual sight, the man said, to see the gamblers gathered around that table playing cards at night.
“I think those men came to rob the gamblers of their wagers they had gotten for the night and is when they were escaping they lick off two gunshots and that little boy just got in the way and get shoot,” the man explained.
However, other residents reported that it was not the gamblers but the family that the robbers were targeting. This newspaper understands that Terrence Plummer, who died one week after being shot in the head during a Sherriff Street robbery on February 15, was a relative of the said family who were targeted by the gunmen.
Residents told this newspaper that the family had a relative from the United States (US) staying with them who “flaunted” gold jewellery openly.
“Is some cousin fuh de family come in the country,” a woman stated. “Well this man does be string on a lot of gold chain so I think these men been to target that family but because de gamblers been in front de yard they get de heat.”
The gambling table
Another woman, who only identified herself as Marcia, told Stabroek News that the family whom the robbers targeted had been robbed several times before. Marcia explained that the gamblers were encouraged to set up their table at that location by the same family.
It was like a defence mechanism for that family, the woman stated, since any robbers intent on attacking them would first have to get past the gambling table before getting into the yard.
“Is dem does encourage that gambling table in front dey yard,” Marcia stated. “Some gunman always coming pun dem and so they know that once de gunman coming the gamblers does start scatter and dem does get time to lock up.”
The now deceased Plummer, Marcia said, was a relative of the family and for some reason they were always targeted by attackers. At the time of the robbery, the woman said, the US relative who was wearing several gold chains had been at the gambling table.
It was the US resident who was the target, the woman said. There was a bit of confusion, Marcia recalled, and the gamblers began scattering. It was then one of the attackers aimed, fired two shots and minutes after everyone realized that Scotland was sprawled just behind the gambling table, near a lamp post, bleeding.
“He de still breathing…”
Up to press time last night the police had not issued a release about the incident.
When this newspaper arrived at the scene shortly after 8.30 pm ranks were present and investigations were in full swing. Blood stains could be seen on the left side of the road where Scotland’s body had fallen.
Several persons who were present on the scene said that the teen was still breathing after sustaining the wound. According to them, had those around responded in a timely manner the young man could have been saved.
“He de still breathing,” one woman recalled. “Imagine he get shoot and they see he de still alive but the people dem heartless dem ain’t take he to de hospital til long after.”
Shaundell Williams, mother of the deceased teen, was still in shock last night. Relatives told this newspaper that Scotland was the woman’s only child.
“Scottie father dead since he was a lil boy and is only he and he mother de deh together,” a relative said. “We na know wa this woman go do now.”
Scotland was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) some 20 minutes after he was shot. He was pronounced dead on arrival at GPHC.
