A Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara shop owner dodged a bullet to the head when he was ambushed at his home by two bandits yesterday morning.
The attack on Kemraj Persaud, 49, occurred around 6.30 am.
Persaud said the bandits robbed him of an undisclosed amount of cash. One of them had hit him behind his head and then threw him to the ground, while the other held him at gunpoint before firing a shot in the direction of his head.
But the quick-thinking man moved his head in time to avoid the bullet connecting with it. They demanded money and he told them to “check in the shop.”
His wife, Phulmattie, and his mother-in-law, who were in the shop, ran to the neighbours, all the while screaming.
Phulmattie did not know it was a robbery until she looked into the kitchen and saw the men beating her husband.
After getting the money, the men then calmly walked out and waited about five minutes on a car to pick them up. The car had two other occupants along with the driver.
The neighbours ran out to assist but were deterred because the men were carrying guns. While waiting on the car, they said, the men were seen “loading the guns.”
Persaud said the police took about half hour to visit the scene as they said they were busy conducting a roadblock exercise.
According to him, the bandits passed his wife and her mother and ran through his shop and into the kitchen, where they attacked him as he stood by the sink.
