A teenaged Albouystown footballer was yesterday morning gunned down as he was making his way to a nearby football field at West La Penitence and police have detained five persons for questioning.
The fatal shooting of Christopher Mansfield, 18, of 66 Barr Street, Albouystown occurred sometime after 6am in close proximity to Nonpareil Street, Albouystown.
Residents from the street yesterday related that the shooting occurred some distance away and Mansfield collapsed on the street. Residents said that it was at that point that they offered assistance.
An aunt, Vanessa Mansfield, told Stabroek News that news of her nephew being shot was delivered to her family by a man on a bicycle.
“His mother was standing on the corner of the street and a Rasta man come and asked who is Christopher mother and she said yeah and he turn and tell she he lying on the ground…” the aunt related.
She recounted that the man transported Christopher’s mother, Natasha Mansfield, on his bicycle and when she arrived on the scene, she saw him covered with a sheet.
“…he was still alive when she get there. They placed him in a car and rushed him to the hospital…but he was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctor…” Vanessa said.
Asked if the family had any idea as to who her nephew’s attackers were, she responded in the negative. However, she said, as his mother was taking him to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), Christopher was trying to “tell her something but she couldn’t have made out what he was saying.”
“He was probably trying to tell her who shoot him but the words weren’t coming out,” the aunt said.
She indicated that three gunshots were directed at her nephew but she was only able to observe a single gunshot wound in the region of his chest. The woman lamented that they were not in a position to examine the body for additional wounds.
Vanessa said that her nephew loved playing football and would spend most of his leisure time playing the sport. Relatives noted that it is a norm for him to play football every Sunday morning in West La Penitence.
Meanwhile, Natasha yesterday called for justice as she believes her son was killed senselessly.
“I am calling on the Commissioner of Police (Leslie James) to come into this community and search the homes of the young people. All the 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-year olds have guns in this community. The police needs to go and search inside the small houses, in the cracks. These young boys have guns in their homes. Too much gangs are in this community and the police needs to come into Albouystown…” she bemoaned.
Relatives said that to their knowledge, Christopher, who is the second of five siblings, has no grievances with anyone and they were adamant that his death was not linked to the recent shooting in the community.
Just two Thursdays ago, known convict Collis Collison of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara and also of 68 William Street, Kitty, was shot dead in Albouystown.
Collison was fatally shot at around 2:45pm at Barr Street, Albouystown. He was approached by the suspect, who brandished a firearm, shot him and fled the scene. Collison was rushed to the GPH by a public-spirited citizen but was pronounced dead at 3:26pm.
On the same day, a 15-year-old of Lot 26 D’Urban Street, Wortmanville was shot and injured during a shootout at Getto Flex Bar, Albouystown.
According to a police statement, the victim related that he was at Albouystown playing Phagwah when an argument began between two identified males.
During the argument, both parties pulled guns and the victim jumped over the counter as he heard a gunshot ring out and felt a burning to his right shoulder.
He later observed blood running from the said shoulder and was taken to GPH by public-spirited citizens.
