In the wake of three chilling high-voltage shootings that have claimed the lives of eight, the police yesterday issued a warning to “all gangs, groups or persons” involved that it is prepared to act condignly against them.
Thus far the police have been unable to charge anyone with these attacks even though the first, which claimed five lives, occurred just over a month ago.
Five of six men who were riddled with bullets in the three attacks within the last month, the most recent being on Monday night, were involved in criminal activities and were associates, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said yesterday.
Patrick Goodluck, Mark Caesar and the three men executed in Cummings Lodge early last month, Persaud said, “would’ve worked for the same people” at some point during their lives but he did not elaborate further.
On Monday, the crime chief was asked if the first two cases – that of Caesar and the Cummings Lodge trio were related but he did not confirm or deny whether the similarity was one of the lines of inquiry of the investigation. However less than a day later following the execution of Goodluck and Godfrey Grootfaam at Stone Avenue, he said yesterday that “there is a possibility” that the three attacks are linked.
Several hours after Persaud told Stabroek News about the possibility of a link between the three shootings a police release stated that “there is not sufficient evidence to link these scenes”. However, the same release reported that “7.62mm x 39mm” shells were recovered at all the crime scenes suggesting the use of automatic rifles.
“The Guyana Police Force,” the statement further said, “wishes to note the recent spate of drive-by shootings which have resulted in the deaths of eight (8) persons around the city and on the East Coast of Demerara.
The release further said: “The force wishes to state that while there is not sufficient evidence to link these scenes at this point in time, the force wishes to sound a warning to all gangs, groups or persons who are prepared to act unlawfully, that this lawlessness and unlawful action will not be allowed to happen. We are prepared to act lawfully and condignly and have upped our anti crime status of operations and will continue to take action as it is necessary.”
Caesar, known as ‘Lil Mark,’ was executed last Friday. He was shot about 15 times as he stood at his usual Broad and Adelaide streets liming spot. On September 4, a car, PLL 2297, was riddled with bullets at Second Field South-East Cummings Lodge and its occupants, Steve Jupiter, his girlfriend Fiona Singh, their son, Neil Jupiter, along with Christopher Gordon and Sherwin Jerome, called ‘Dice Head.’ were all killed. Several hundred shells were recovered at that scene.
After the three men were murdered in Cummings Lodge, Commissioner of Police Henry Greene had said that 7 kilos of cocaine which went missing may have sparked the killing. Singh and her son, he’d stated were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It is also believed that Grootfaam may have picked the wrong night to ask his friend for a lift. The man had visited the Campbellville area to have his hair braided and was leaving with Goodluck when their vehicle, PMM 9074, was cornered by another and a lone gunman opened fire on them. The gunfire lasted for maybe two to three minutes and at the end of it Goodluck was left dead in the driver’s seat and Grootfaam died just outside the car at the front passenger side where he perhaps made a vain bid to escape.
A motorcyclist, who was nearly caught in the cross-fire, escaped without injury. His bike was still near Goodluck’s car when Stabroek News arrived at the scene.
The car which contained the attackers may have been parked earlier in Royal Drive, a short distance from where Goodluck had gone to visit his children.
Who was
Goodluck?
In a statement late yesterday afternoon, the first since the Stone Avenue shooting, police said they are investigating the murders of Goodluck, 39, a mason of Perth Village Mahaicony and Grootfaam called ‘Mosquito’, 29, of Canterbury Walk, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
The incident, according to them, occurred at about 8.15 pm on Monday. The two men were in motor car PMM 9074, an AT 212 Carina driven by Goodluck, when at Royal Drive and Stone Avenue, three suspects drove up in another car, exited and fired several shots at the victim’s vehicle, then drove away.
They further reported that twenty seven (27) 7.62 x 39 spent shells, four (4) 9mm and six (6) .45 spent shells were recovered at the scene. Both bodies, police said, bore multiple bullet wounds and are at a city mortuary awaiting post mortem examinations as investigations are continuing.
Crime Chief Persaud, when questioned about who Goodluck was, told Stabroek News that the man was a known character. Goodluck, according to Persaud, had been charged with murder twice and after his release from the system returned to “the criminal world”.
When Stabroek News visited Goodluck’s relatives yesterday afternoon they declined to comment. Lovern Goodluck told this newspaper that her nephew was a carpenter and a hardworking man. Goodluck, the woman said, did not live with them at Perth but lived by himself at another location.
Meanwhile, Grootfaam’s relatives said that while he and the other man were friends they did not know Goodluck.
