An East Ruimveldt man was in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital, up to press time, after he was shot in the head last night.
Bascal Johnson, called Pascal, was rushed to the medical institution by police shortly before 9 pm. A woman, with whom he reportedly shared a relationship, was being questioned by police up to press time last night.
Stabroek News understands that the man was shot just above the right eye by an unknown assailant while he was standing in an empty lot along Laing Avenue with the woman.
A man, who said he is a friend of the injured man, reported hearing what sounded like a single gunshot some time around 8.30 last night.
“I was already in bed when I heard this thing and I rush outside to see what going on,” the man explained. “I see a set of people running and screaming and it had a crowd of people around something in the empty lot.”
The man said he went over to the empty lot to investigate further and discovered that the injured person was his “brethren” Johnson.
“Is somebody shine a torch light in his face and I realize is meh brethren laying down in de grass and right away I rush in action to help but de police patrol that does normally run de area come rolling around same time and they help take him to the hospital,” the man explained.
The man said he’d overheard Johnson speaking to the woman earlier yesterday.
“I see he [Johnson] talking to she on de Avenue earlier in de day and he was giving her $500 and she try to take a $1000 and then after he didn’t want to give she de $1000 she take away his phone and I heard him tell her that he would come to collect the phone later…I didn’t see him [Johnson] again until I see he with a bullet in he head in that empty lot.”
Meanwhile, when Stabroek News visited Johnson’s Lot 420 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown home last night his mother and sisters were in tears. Johnson’s relatives said they did not know the woman. They believe that one of the woman’s lovers or someone connected to her shot Johnson.
“Is set she set he up,” one relative repeated at intervals.
Over at the shooting scene on Laing Avenue residents were reluctant to speak. Some reported hearing the gunshot but declined to say anything else.
Just after 10 last night Criminal Investigation Department ranks were at the GPH Police Outpost questioning the woman. The man’s relatives were also present anxiously awaiting word from doctors.
“They have he in the Emergency Room and they say they working on him,” Johnson’s distressed sister, Shelly said. “They say he critical but he still alive.”
