A US-based Guyanese man last evening died in a Corentyne home after he was shot in the stomach by a bandit who had snatched his chain.
Police said today that investigations revealed that Roopnarine Ramodit and the other victims were sitting on a bench in the yard, when the men entered and held them at gunpoint. One of the men then took away a gold chain that Ramodit was wearing and shot him to his abdomen during the process.
Commander of B Division Steve Merai, had earlier said that 59-year-old Ramodit was shot once to the head at around 7 last night in the bottom flat of a two-storey building in Clifton Settlement, Corentyne.
According to Merai, investigators were initially told that Ramodit’s wallet was stolen but this was later found and nothing else was removed from the house. He said that Ramodit, who only returned to Guyana recently, was in the bottom flat when two masked men entered the building and he sustained one gunshot wound. The men then made their escape.
Police have since held four persons in connection with the murder. Three were held last night and one, a resident who lives nearby, was detained today.
According to Dawatie David, with whom Ramodit and his wife were staying, the couple only arrived in the country yesterday morning.
She said the victim, her husband, Raymond David and a neighbour were relaxing under the house on a bench when the incident happened. As the distraught woman spoke to Stabroek News this morning the victim’s wife was seen constantly on the phone in between interviews with the police.
David said the man’s wife had just given him a plate of dholl puri and curry chicken when the tragedy occurred. The three men had food and she and Ramodit’s wife had returned to the kitchen to collect their dinner when a masked man appeared at the doorway leading into the house. The shooter, the woman told this newspaper, told them to “come, come” but before they could have reacted they heard what sounded like a gunshot.
The women rushed out and found Ramodit lying on the ground bleeding and according to David it appeared as if he was shot in the abdomen. She said her husband and the neighbour were also on the ground but they were unhurt. Ramodit is originally from Number 48 Village and he had returned to Guyana in 2000 to attend a funeral.
David’s husband has since been hospitalized suffering from shock.
Roopnarine’s brother, Thackoordin Ramodit, 62 of Skeldon described his brother as a peaceful person and had no problems with anyone. He was the last one nine siblings and had three children.
