The three men, killed in the drive-by attack at Cummings Lodge that claimed two other lives on Saturday night, were suspected to be involved in illegal activities, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said yesterday.
Up to press time last evening, police were still looking for the gunmen who unleashed a barrage of gunfire on the car the five people were in and according to several police sources their identities are unknown.
Persaud told Stabroek News yesterday that investigations at the moment “are moving along the lines of what we know about them [the men].” He said the men were suspected to be involved in illegal activities and had been arrested before for questioning about murders, robbery and drugs. It is unclear which murders they were questioned about.
Persaud said that so far no information has been gathered on who the gunmen might be or the motive for the attack.
Trader Steve Jupiter, 38, of Industry, East Coast Deme-rara; his girlfriend Fiona Singh, 23, of Independence Boulevard; and their son, Neil Jupiter, three years old; Christopher Gordon, 38, of Light and Sixth Street, Alberttown; and Sherwin (surname not yet known) called ‘Dice Head,’ said to be of Hunter Street, Albouys-town, died as a result of the attack.
Post-mortem examinations were conducted on the bodies of Singh and Neil Jupiter yesterday, while examinations of the bodies of the others are scheduled for tomorrow. Stabroek News was told that the child died as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to penetrating injuries. It is unclear how many times he was shot. Singh succumbed to the multiple gunshot wounds she sustained. She was shot five times.
Steve Jupiter’s common-law wife, Natasha John, yesterday said she was still baffled as to what might have caused the savage attack. The woman said her husband normally bought clothing, hats and shoes in Suriname and resold them to local businesses.
Meanwhile, attempts to contact relatives of Gordon and Sherwin were again unsuccessful yesterday. This newspaper was told that Gordon lived alone and the house he was said to have occupied was locked. Albouystown residents said that Sherwin “limed” in the area but did not live there. Reports are that the man lived somewhere in the West Demerara area.
According to the police, the victims were travelling in motorcar PLL 2279 along Second Field, Cummings Lodge, when they came under gunfire. The adult Jupiter, Gordon and Sherwin were pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital while the child and Singh subsequently succumbed to their injuries while receiving medical treatment. A number of 7.62×39 rounds used in AK-47 rifles and 9 mm Luger spent shells were recovered from the scene.
Singh and her son had been visiting relatives at Second Field, Cummings Lodge prior to the attack. Relatives had explained that Jupiter along with his two friends had gone to pick them up, after dropping them off earlier. They were coming out of Second Field when the car was sprayed with bullets.
A Cummings Lodge resident had told this newspaper that shortly before the shooting began he had seen a vehicle parked on the University of Guyana back road and another on the road which runs parallel to it in the New Scheme, at the corner before Second Field. “Like they waiting fuh he come out,” the witness had said. When Jupiter’s white Toyota reached the corner of Second Field, the vehicle on the back road crossed the bridge to join the other one, and together they drove up to meet Jupiter’s car. Persons then came out and riddled Jupiter’s car with bullets.
It is unknown how many gunmen carried out the attack.
