A father of six was shot and killed early yesterday morning during a scuffle at a city bar and the police force has since issued a wanted bulletin for the suspect, who has been identified as an ex-policeman.
Kurt Anthony Duncan, called ‘Devon,’ 32, a popsicle vendor of Lot 192 North Sophia, succumbed to a single gunshot to his chest before he arrived at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The shooting occurred around 2.07 am at Seeta’s bar, located on Station Street, Kitty, while the bar was being closed. The business is monitored by surveillance cameras.
Hours after the fatal shooting, the Guyana Police Force issued a wanted bulletin for the suspect, who has been identified as Keon David, 32, an ex-member of the force and also a resident of Sophia.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan, in a press statement, said Duncan was shot after he intervened in a scuffle between a man and woman who were washing the floor of the premises.
“The victim (Duncan) who was present, intervened and reportedly assaulted the male cleaner,” the police said.
The statement added that the suspect, who was seated nearby, allegedly whipped out a firearm and shot Duncan.
It remains unclear if the suspect is a licensed firearm holder.
When Stabroek News visited the scene yesterday, the business was tightly secured.
This newspaper spoke with several residents who said they did not even hear the gunshot and only learnt of the incident late yesterday morning.
“…Yuh can’t hear anything. The music does be loud. This shop need to be closed down. The street does be block up. People does be going on at a rate,” a resident, who wished not to be named, said.
Duncan’s relatives described him as a peaceful individual who did not get involved in trouble. They said he was known for making peace. “If he see anybody fighting or anything of dah sort, he does more go in and calm them down. He don’t trouble nobody fah get kill like this,” a relative said.
Duncan’s family was yesterday still trying to determine what exactly led to his demise.
“According to what we heard, he (Kurt) was making peace…like when the altercation done, probably like he leave to go to the washroom after and like the guy (suspect) go behind he and shoot he. Duh is based on what we heard. We still don’t know,” Dellon Duncan, the brother of the deceased, said.
Dellon said he last saw his brother on Sunday afternoon as he was heading out to ply his trade.
He is demanding justice for his brother, who he said was wrongfully killed. “…We need to do something about this situation going on in our country… they killing innocent people. Yuh can’t just whip out a gun and shoot someone when you know the law. Yuh know how to go round the law…he could have hit him on his foot or somewhere,” Dellon stated.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Ceres, the dead man’s youngest sister, said she and Kurt were
among a group of seven persons who were hanging out on Sunday evening. Ceres further stated that as time elapsed, she and most of the group decided to leave the bar for home but Kurt stayed back with a friend who wasn’t ready.
“…I wanted to go home… and I told him (Kurt), I seh, ‘Man we going home.’ And all ah we come to the car but he end up… his friend that he go with, he stay back with the friend ’cause he seh he can’t go without the friend,” she recalled.
Ceres said she learnt of the shooting yesterday morning after receiving a call from her sister, Monique Duncan. Monique, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, said the first call she received for the day was about her brother’s death.
Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of David, 32, whose last known address is Sophia, is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 226-1389, 226-7476, 226-7065, 226-6221, 227-2603, 227-1611, 227-1149, 227-1270, 225-6940 to 9, 225-3650, 226-1928, 911 or the nearest police station.