Police have arrested the suspected gunman who opened fire on Charlestown resident, Oriley Small at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) tarmac on Friday evening, injuring two other persons in the process.
According to reports, a rural constable, who had a financial disagreement with the 28-year-old Small, was taken into custody on the night of the incident.
According to the police, Small sustained gunshot wounds to his face, chest and right leg. Two other persons—Small’s friend, 32-year-old Lawrence Wayne and plantain chip vendor Shondell Benn, 33—each sustained a gunshot wound in the attack as well. Wayne sustained a wound to his abdomen, while Benn was shot to her left arm; the bullet exited the woman’s hand.
Reports are that Small owed the man a sum of money and the assailant confronted the burly man at the NCC tarmac where the ‘Guinness Greatest of the Streets’ football tournament was being played.
After an argument, the man opened fire on Small, of Lot 6 Ketley and Drysdale streets, Charlestown. Wayne, who is his friend, was also wounded as he was standing within the group of friends at the time. Benn, who left her Melanie Damishana home late Friday evening to vend at the event, was passing at the time when she wounded.
The three injured persons remained at private hospitals in the city yesterday where they were recovering from their injuries. Small was said to be out of danger as the bullets were removed from his body on Friday evening while Benn was expected to be discharged from the hospital yesterday.
The suspect is expected to be placed before the courts shortly and his appearance hinges upon the recovery of the victims of the attack, a police source said yesterday.
This is not the first shooting incident Small has been involved in. In September 2009, Small was one of five persons shot in an incident after a football match at the National Gymnasium. According to reports, Small had been involved in an argument with another man when shots were fired. Dwayne Wharton, Jason Marks and Jamal Thomas, all 17 years old and residents of West Ruimveldt; Terrence Edwards, 15, and Small, both residents of Charlestown were injured. Wharton was shot in the chest and the others sustained gunshot injuries to their legs.
Later the same night, owner of White Castle Fish Shop Jermaine Langevine, who was said to have fired the shots, was beaten unconscious reportedly by a relative of one of the wounded persons. Langevine had sustained a broken jaw and head injuries, which left him in a critical condition for a while.
In January this year, Small appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged with armed robbery and attempted murder and was remanded to prison.
It was alleged that on January 9, at North/East La Penitence, Small had shot New York-based Guyanese Felix Alleyne, who lost one his kidneys as a result, and also robbed him of a gold chain valued $150,000.
According to reports, Small and an accomplice approached Alleyne, who was speaking with friends, and chucked him.
A scuffle then ensued, during which the accused relieved Alleyne of his chain and shot him in the lower abdomen. Small and his accomplice then made good their escape, but the entire incident was caught on security cameras mounted in the area. Subsequent police investigations led to Small’s arrest.
