Commissioner of Police Leslie James yesterday met with School of the Nations Director Dr Brian O’Toole, who was shot in January in an attack at his home, for a discussion on the ongoing investigation.
The meeting was held yesterday morning at the Commissioner’s Conference Room, at Force Headquarters, Eve Leary.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the way forward in the matter and to clear up some “misunderstandings.”
A joint press conference will be held by the two men at 6pm today, when the media will be updated on the investigation.
Prior to yesterday’s meeting, O’ Toole had met with the police twice; immediately after the shooting and then a few weeks ago.
This development came after O’Toole had continuously vented his concerns to the media in relation to the January 27th attack, which has left his left hand paralysed, even after four surgeries.
He will be returning to the United States soon for a fifth operation.
O’Toole was shot hours after he had called a meeting at the school to address threats that had surfaced online against the school’s student body.
The threats were made via Facebook and police and cybersecurity experts had been trying to locate the individual responsible.
To date, police are yet to apprehend the perpetrator/s of the attack on O’Toole or the person/s who made the threats. Several persons were detained for questioning but were subsequently released.
The school was temporarily closed after parents expressed their fears about security in light of the threats and the subsequent shooting of O’Toole. Prior to reopening, the school intensified its security and adopted an active shooter response plan.
Dissatisfied with the police investigation, parents had also staged a peaceful protest in front of the Ministry of Public Security’s Brickdam office, where they had announced an offer of a $1 million reward for any information that may lead to the arrest of the perpetrator/s.
Information that was circulated suggested that the shooter was identified and apprehended in the United States. It was claimed that the shooter is related to a prominent individual and was flown out of the country after the attack. However, when approached previously on the veracity of the reports, James said he would have to check. The force has not issued an update to the public on the case since then.
In a recent interview with Stabroek News, O’Toole had said that he is trying to remain hopeful that his attacker will be caught and brought to justice, while fearing that there has been a “cover-up” in the case.
He had expressed concerns about the influence of video games on youth, while noting that the shooter performed a “bizarre dance” that appeared to be from online game Fortnite.
