Six persons, including a doctor, are currently in police custody as the investigation continues into Monday morning’s fatal robbery attempt outside of El Dorado Trading.
Crime Chief (ag) Michael Kingston last evening confirmed the arrests to Stabroek News.
Kingston said among those in custody is a doctor, who allegedly treated one of the wounded perpetrators, and a woman.
He explained that the suspects were up to last evening being questioned and investigators believed that they are close to cracking the case.
The investigation is being spearheaded by ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department’s Major Crimes Unit.
Forty-four-year-old Deon Stoll, a father of two of Baramita Avenue, Bel Air, was shot and killed on Monday morning after armed bandits attempted to rob him upon his arrival at El Dorado Trading in Newtown, Kitty to transact business.
His driver, Clayton Powley, 43, of Turkeyen, and the security guard of the business, Rory Deegs, 40, of Lot 7025 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, were also injured.
An autopsy performed on Wednesday showed that Stoll died as a result of a gunshot injury to the lower abdomen.
The shooting, which saw the exchange of “rapid gunfire”, unfolded around 10.15 am at Lot 63 Da Silva Street, Newtown, Kitty.
Kingston had previously informed Stabroek News that it is suspected that the bandits trailed the car, PPP 7227, which was driven by Powley, before confronting the men as they were about to enter the business establishment.
“Based on what I know for now, the persons [bandits] probably trailed the car from where they were coming from and they attempted to rob the persons. In the process, both the driver [Powley] and the passenger [Stoll] were shot,” Kingston had told Stabroek News.
He had added that Stoll returned fire and it is believed that one bandit was wounded as a result.
Deegs, who was shot twice, told Stabroek News on Tuesday that he was performing his duties inside the business place when the shooting began.
He believes that Stoll fired at him because he misidentified him as one of the robbers since he was dressed similarly at the time.
A Toyota 212 motor car, HC 7162 suspected to be the one used to carry out the crime was on Tuesday evening discovered abandoned at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara.
Stabroek News had reported that the police were called in after residents in the area noticed two males exiting the motor car before disappearing.
The car bore what appears to be a gunshot hole in the back windshield.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan, in a statement on the shooting, had said enquiries revealed that Stoll and Powley had just finished transacting business at a Sheriff Street, Campbellville location, where they collected a sum of cash.
Ramlakhan said they then proceeded to El Dorado Trading to conduct further business when the shooting unfolded. “On arrival, a motor car which was travelling behind their vehicle stopped and two men exited the car wearing caps with their faces tied with kerchiefs,” the police had said.
One of the bandits had a gun, while the other was armed with a knife.
“One with a knife approached Powley while the other approached Stoll with a handgun,” the police said before adding that the knife-wielding bandit ordered Powley to get out of the car while the other told Stoll not to draw his firearm.
However, according to the police, Powley exited the car and attempted to fend off his attacker and he was shot in one of his hands.
By this time Stoll drew his licensed firearm and he and the gunman exchanged gunfire.
The bandits then ran and re-entered their car, which was driven by a male accomplice.
They made good their escape empty-handed by driving west along Da Silva Street and turned south onto Vlissengen Road.