The Hussain family, which was attacked and robbed at gunpoint at their Lot 62 Brehaspat Street, No. 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice residence, is now breathing a collective air of relief as Angela Hussain, 39 years, the matriarch of the family is out of the danger zone and is speedily recovering from a gunshot wound to the head.
The woman, who up until yesterday was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the New Amsterdam Hospital has been transferred to the hospital’s female ward and is being monitored. She is expected to be discharged from the hospital in a matter of days. The police have since held several of the men for questioning.
Hussain was shot in the head at point blank range by one of five armed bandits who invaded her home and demanded cash and jewellery. Fortunately, the bullet only managed to graze the right side of her head, from the temple to the ear, before making a clean exit.
The woman, who operates a grocery and parlour in the lower flat of her two-storey house, was at the time of the robbery, preparing to close her shop for the day. Mere minutes before the closing time, the men barged into the yard, kicked in the door of the shop and proceeded to terrorise Hussain, her husband and three children who were home at the time.
According to reports, Hussain handed over the day’s earnings to the three bandits who were ransacking the house while the remaining two kept watch outside and periodically fired shots into the air to deter neighbours from coming to the family’s rescue. After handing over an undisclosed sum of money, to the criminals, Hussain was forced to watch helplessly as one of the bandits gun-butted her husband several times in the head to force them to hand over their jewellery as well.
The men then proceeded to make their way out of the yard, when one of them, dissatisfied with the yield, returned, grabbed Hus-sain and demanded more money. It was at this point Hussain was shot in the head after she said she didn’t have more money.
The ordeal lasted some forty-five minutes, and according to Faizal Hussain, 37 years, those were the most terrifying minutes of his life. The man, who was gun-butted repeatedly in his head by one of the bandits, told Stabroek News he was so shaken by the incident he may be emotionally scarred for life. “I was coming out to go to church and sudden suh they come in on us and like me ain’t know what happen,” he said. The confused man said he remembers getting “lash in me head and I left stupidy. Up to now is like I ain’t even come back to my senses”.
Hussain explained that while he only suffered a mild concussion from the blows he received to his head, and he was treated at the hospital and sent home, he doesn’t fully remember what really transpired the night of the robbery, as he was in a dazed state. “Me left stupid; me ain’t remember what happen and like me ain’t even want remember either,” he admitted.
The man further said he is grateful that no one in his family lost their life and that they have a second chance, although he is not sure what their next step in terms of remaining in the neighbourhood and continuing the business will be.
“This is not the first time we get rob, but this time more serious so we don’t know what we will do after this. We are still in shock,” he stated, adding that the family “has to discuss our next move after my wife fully recover”.
The family is hoping that the female Hussain will be discharged from the hospital either by this weekend, or early next week. “Since the robbery we closing up earlier now and just waiting for me wife to get discharge so we can move on,” Hussain disclosed.
