At least one of the teenage gang members suspected in the stabbing death of a 17-year old carpenter on Monday night is in custody and the family of the victim is hopeful that the full force of the law is brought against the perpetrators.
Imran Mohammed, called “Dado,” of Lot 951 Belle West, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara was killed following a confrontation with the members of the gang near a shop in the community on Monday night.
Mohammed, who travelled home from Berbice on Monday, left his parents’ home to purchase goods at a shop for his mother to cook. Reports are that while at the shop, he encountered several teenage boys, said to be members of the “Five Star Gang.” The gang members are below 16-years-old, this newspaper has learnt.
According to police, who confirmed the arrest of one of the teen suspects, Mohamed was involved in an argument with a juvenile who was accompanied by two others over the alleged larceny of a gold chain, during which he was fatally stabbed to his chest.
Stabroek News was told that Mohammed and his attacker, who heads the gang, had disagreements in the past after it was alleged that he and other members of the gang snatched his (Mohammed’s) girlfriend’s gold chain sometime last year.
Mohammed‘s friend and neighbour Haresh Persaud, who had accompanied him to the shop, began to argue at the shop with one of the members of the gang over the chain and during the confrontation, one of the teens attempted to hit him with a piece of wood.
Mohammed intervened. “He part them and then dem ride away and seh that they going and bring weapons fuh kill Imran friend,” a relative related.
She said that while Mohammed and his friend walked home, they were confronted by the members of the gang, who rode up to them with one of the boys brandishing a knife. The attacker was aiming at Persaud’s throat but managed to cut him on the chin.
According to an eyewitness, Mohammed again intervened and this led to the attacker turning the knife on him.
He tried to run away but fell into a nearby drain and his attacker pursued and proceeded to plunge the knife several times into his abdomen. Persaud, in the meantime, ran away from the scene.
A relative said that Mohammed was picked up and rushed to the hospital but died on the way. He had lost a considerable amount of blood. According to Mohammed’s relatives, his death has left the entire community in a state of shock. They noted that the incident will see increasing calls for a police outpost to be set up in the area.
“We think the police must at least patrol in here, because these little boys ain’t even reach 15 and they does be tormenting people, snatching they bags and jewellery at night,” a resident said.
Mohammed’s relatives added that the perpetrators should face the full consequences for their actions.
Mohammed’s girlfriend, Lalita Girdharry, said that he travelled from Berbice, where he worked with his father, to spend her birthday with her. She said that he was in a jolly mood all day and never in her wildest dreams did she expect to see him end up dead.
Mohammed’s parents and the wounded Persaud spent most of the day yesterday at the La Grange Police Station as ranks there investigate the murder.
Mohammed is survived by his parents and older twin sisters.
