Police have identified and are searching for a prime suspect in Thursday’s shooting on Regent Street, which left one of the two victims in a critical condition at a city hospital.
A source close to the investigations told Stabroek News yesterday that investigators visited a location in Kitty twice between Thursday and yesterday but were unable to locate the suspect.
Shazam Allie, 35, a businessman of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Narine Samsudeen, 28, a welder of Parika Backdam, were shot in front a Regent Street store around 12.30pm on Thursday during what is believed to have been an attempted robbery.
Allie was shot once to his left leg and was rushed to Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital where he was treated and discharged, while Samsudeen sustained two gunshot wounds, including one to his abdomen and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he remained a patient in a critical condition up to late yesterday afternoon.
The police, in a brief statement on the shooting, had said that an armed man exited a vehicle and discharged several rounds at Allie and Samsudeen and then escaped. At the time, Allie’s workers were loading a freezer he had just purchased.
Speaking to this newspaper from the hospital yesterday afternoon, Samsudeen’s wife, Shemeza, said he underwent emergency surgery on Thursday afternoon to remove a bullet which was lodged in the region of his abdomen but he remained unconscious up to yesterday. Shemeza said she was informed that he is currently bleeding internally.
An eyewitness had related to this newspaper that it appeared as if the men were followed. He pointed out that the attack occurred 15 minutes after they arrived at the store. According to the man, the shooter asked for the bag with money, which Allie had, but after he ran into the store the gunman left.
Allie had told Stabroek News that he saw a silver grey vehicle pulling up after which an unmasked man with a gun fired five to seven shots in his direction. He said before he ran into the store he was shot to his left leg. The bullet exited the leg. He pointed out that he had a small amount of cash on him at the time.
A vehicle bearing a fake number plate was intercepted by the police in Kitty shortly after the incident. It is unclear if it belongs to the suspect who is currently on the run.
