A 57-year-old moneychanger was yesterday morning fatally shot and robbed of his licensed firearm and an undisclosed sum of cash by two men just after he had parked his motor car outside Ashmins Trading building on High Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.
Prince Phillip Alleyne, a resident of Lot 88 Public Road Grove, East Bank Demerara was shot in his head during the attack which occurred around 10.40am.
He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed around 11.25am while receiving medical attention.
The incident occurred on the western side of the Ashmins Trading building, between Hadfield and Leopold streets, less than an hour after Alleyne left his home to ply his trade on America Street.
The crime was allegedly commissioned by two men on a motorcycle, who were both armed with handguns and dressed in Muslim attire.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan in a press release yesterday said that an investigation has been launched into the incident. Up to yesterday afternoon, no arrest had been made, he noted.
Reports are that Alleyne would usually park his car at the spot and walk to a location at America Street, to ply his trade. He would later return to his car after completing the day’s business.
Enquiries, the police said revealed that Alleyne left his home in his motor car, PMM 9512.
He then proceeded to Georgetown where he parked after which he was confronted by the two bandits.
During the incident, a scuffle ensued between Alleyne and his attackers during which he was shot and relieved of the cash and his firearm.
The suspects escaped on the motorcycle.
When Stabroek News visited the scene yesterday, persons were tightlipped about the incident.
They related that they were carrying out their daily activities when they were alerted by the sound of a gunshot.
Pool of blood
Upon checking, they said they noticed Alleyne lying on the ground between his car and another in a pool of blood.
“I was around by the bus park side deh and then I hear them man seh somebody get shoot….when I drop me kit hay suh them man seh `watch the man lay down ova deh’ and then we gone and we just see,” a man who wished not to be named said.
A vendor, who plies his trade around the area where the incident occurred related to this newspaper that he knew Alleyne since he would park his car on a daily basis at the location. “…..I know he (Alleyne) by seeing he coming around to park heh. He does park here almost every day and he does walk to America Street and when he done he business he does come back to he car,” the man added.
“I didn’t went around when it happen. I went to the market to get stocks for my stand but when I come back I heard,” the vendor said.
Alleyne’s car and some of his belonging were also at the scene.
Meanwhile at the home of Alleyne, family members were still trying to come to grips with his death.
A relative, Andrea Benjamin related to Stabroek News that they last saw Alleyne yesterday morning, before he left home for Georgetown.
Benjamin said the family learnt of the incident after receiving several calls from persons informing them of what transpired. “And with that we were able to rush down,” she said.
She noted that by time they arrived at the scene, Alleyne had already been taken to the hospital. They were unable to see him at the hospital also because of his condition, she added.
According to Benjamin, up to yesterday afternoon the family were still trying to gather information as to what exactly transpired. “That’s all we know. Right now we are trying to put things together. We are trying to figure out exactly what happen. We don’t know what transpired, the time of the incident we don’t know,” Benjamin related.
She, however explained that several years ago, an attempt was made to rob Alleyne in the Stabroek Market area. “We had an incident before yes, it was like years ago but it was a minor incident,” Benjamin noted.
That incident, according to Benjamin had occurred while Alleyne was on his way to work.
Alleyne plied his trade as a moneychanger on America Street for a number of years.
