Two persons, including a 17-year-old, were shot early yesterday morning after an alleged attempt to burglarise facilities at the Ramsarup GuyOil Service Station at Good Hope, Mahaica.
A third man, believed to be the duo’s accomplice, managed to escape and up to press time last night police were looking for him.
Taxi driver Sean Sinclair, of Pattensen, East Coast Demerara and the teen, of ‘D’ Field, Sophia were shot by retired Colonel Chabilall Ramsarup and his son, Arun, who rushed to the location after strange men were seen entering the premises. Police said the incident occurred around 12:45 am.
The injured duo underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullets and up to late yesterday afternoon the two were still patients at the George-town Hospital.
The service station was opened for business yesterday and owner Rovin Ramsarup told Stabroek News that his father and brother, both licensed firearm holders, shot at the perpetrators after they launched attacks. Recounting what transpired, he said that his brother, Arun, who lives next to the service station, telephoned him around 12:30am and informed of the strange men at the location. Rovin explained that Arun was robbed twice in the last month and since then he had become very vigilant. The dogs, he said, started to bark and when his bother looked out he saw the two men turning into the gas station from the public road.
Rovin, who lives at another location in Good Hope, later picked up Arun, who was armed with a shotgun, outside his home and together they went to the station. When they arrived, he said, Arun ran around the western side while he went around the eastern side. Rovin said when he reached the back of the building he heard noises in the bushes, which he later learnt was one of the perpetrators escaping. He said his sister-in-law, who was still at home, shouted to them that one of the men was hiding in a building that was still under construction.
At the side of the station’s mini mart, there is a building that houses a MoneyGram outlet as well as the unfinished structure. Rovin approached from the back while Arun approached from the front of the structure. “There is where we saw him and he had what looked like a screw driver,” he said, while adding that the person was instructed to stand still but advanced towards with the object in his hand. It was at this point that Arun discharged a round at the teen, hitting him in the foot.
According to the businessmen, the wounded man and his accomplice had reportedly broken into an electrical repair shop located in the compound and removed two DVD players. The items were stashed behind the incomplete shop where the teen was hiding. The two men also attempted to break into the MoneyGram outlet.
By this time, Rovin said, his father, retired Colonel Ramsarup had arrived. Additionally, villagers began venturing out to investigate and information began circulating that a strange white car was parked on a parallel road opposite the gas station. As a result, Rovin and his father decided to sandwich the car; one approached from the west and the other from the east. The elder Ramsarup arrived first. Rovin said that his father recounted to him that when he approached the car, which bore number plate PKK 3973, he tapped on the window and the driver came out.
The elder Ramsarup, he said, had his pistol trained on the man, who attempted to grab it and it was at this point that the man, later identified as Sinclair, was shot in the foot. Sinclair was later taken to the Mahaica Police Station. Rovin said that a “long knife” was later found in the bushes and it is believed it was dropped by the fleeing accomplice.
A senior policeman told Stabroek News that none of the wounded was in possession of a weapon when held.
Meanwhile, a resident of the area said that villagers will be more cautious as a result of yesterday’s incident. He said that the area where the car was parked was dark and “obviously somebody in hey give them information.” The man noted that there were two trails linking the car to the gas station and the perpetrators had at least two other ways to escape if they had to leave in a hurry.
