A taxi driver is dead and five others were injured following a shooting at a Garnett Street nightclub yesterday morning.
The dead man has been identified as Raymond Lindo of Diamond Housing Scheme. The deceased was found lying face down on the southern side of Garnett Street, about two hundred yards from the nightclub. He was found bearing a gunshot wound to the upper left side of his chest.
The shooting was said to have occurred around 3.30 am yesterday at a bar called Magic City Lounge. The nightclub is housed in the downstairs of a two-storey building.
According to the police report, Orin Forde, the owner of the club who currently rents the building stated that on Saturday he hosted a private party at the club from 16.00 hours to 20.00 hours but had left the party some fifteen minutes before the affair was expected to end. Forde said he left the manager of his nightclub in charge to secure the club on completion of the party. He further said that he did not know of the incident until yesterday morning when he was awakened by the manager at 06.00hours who relayed to him what had transpired.
It was said that the now deceased along with five other persons entered the party uninvited. The report said that an argument ensued among the uninvited group over a young woman. This led to a series of gunshots inside of the club. This sent all those present at the club scattering. One of the men within the group was seen with a handgun which he was said to have dropped in a nearby yard before he entered a police vehicle which he had stopped. The police vehicle then drove away.
One of the men suffered a gunshot wound to his left foot and was treated at the GPH and sent away. Three other men from the said group are currently patients at the GPH, one nursing a gunshot wound to his upper left chest, another man two gunshot wounds, one to each of his thighs and the third suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of his abdomen.
The GPH Public Relations Officer, Chelauna Providence when contacted yesterday stated that information received from the hospital relayed that two of the men were in the theatre at the time undergoing surgeries
Meanwhile, a fifth man was said to have suffered a gunshot wound to his buttocks. He was treated at Woodlands Hospital and took self-discharge.
Police combed the inside of the club and found four .45 spent shells, two .45 bullets, one 9 mm spent shells, and two .32 spent shells. Meanwhile, in front of the club two .32 spent shells were found and a .32 spent shell in a parking lot nearby the club. A .45 Pistol with a magazine were also found in a nearby yard, believed to be the gun dropped by the man who used the police vehicle as his getaway transportation.
According to the report, the deceased’s hands as well as the hands of the injured men were swabbed for gunshot residue.
The police also stated that they are in the process of reviewing CCTV cameras located within the vicinity.
Yesterday, when this newspaper turned up at Lindo’s residence, several persons were present at the house. The brother of the man, Lindo (only name given) was reluctant to speak. He did say, however, that the family received a call that his younger brother had died and they were awaiting further information from the regional police commander.
The body of Lindo is currently at Lyken Funeral Parlour awaiting a post-mortem examination.
