Police are investigating the shooting death of 22-year-old Orlando “Bully” Fredericks on Saturday night shortly after he was suspected of participating in a robbery.
The police in a statement said that at about 2335h on Saturday night, two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, held up a man in a shop at James and Non Pariel streets, Albouystown, and took away his gold jewellery and escaped..
The police said that Fredericks’ body was later found on Sussex Street, Albouystown, with a suspected gunshot wound to the abdomen. Investigations are continuing.
Fredericks’ family of Charlestown, Georgetown, contested the police press release. His aunt told Stabroek News that his body was found on Independence Boulevard heading to the main road.
She recalled hearing the gunshot late Saturday evening and then seeing a police vehicle speeding past on James Street. Fredericks’ aunt stated that since he was associated with thieves “his name would get called in everything even if he ain’t do nothing.”
Fredericks’ mother told Stabroek News that her son used to work as a guard at several locations and said that he had left his most recent job and was worried about finances because he had a young daughter to support. She recalled that he would tell her “mommy, I don’t want any man raising me child.”
“I done already prepared to hear this anytime, nobody ain’t perfect,” the deceased’s mother said upon hearing of her son’s death. She said that she would often tell her son “show me your company and I know who you are,” adding that he recently started hanging with the wrong crowd.
She said that she was aware her son was not always the best person stating that “whatever he do anybody… I am saying sorry for him…he might have shown me a different face than what he showed other people. He was a loving father and to his family.” She said that she couldn’t be surprised if he was into wrongdoing that people would act against him. Fredericks’ mother however said that she did not know who shot her son.
Both women were emotional as they recalled that Fredericks was supposed to return to his job as a guard, but he never got the chance. The family is currently waiting on the results of the post-mortem examination which is scheduled for today.
The dead man’s mother did not seem confident in the police investigation, resigning herself to thinking that her son’s killer may never be caught, due to his circumstance prior to his death.
She said that of her three children, Fredericks went the furthest in his education and that he was on the right path when he began working but financial problems frustrated him.
“He turn big man too quick. Got a child, now he had this child to support.
“The last time I see he, he came for lil food, he rub my head and said ‘mommy I come to eat’. That was around 7pm (Saturday). I never saw my son after that,” Fredericks’ mother stated.
Fredericks had played football for the Bank of Guyana at one point.
