The events that preceded her being shot by an intoxicated Karl Singh, the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, have left 25-year-old Gladys Benedict unsure if Singh had fired the gun intentionally.
The police in a statement said that around 11 pm on July 20th at the Commercial Zone, Lethem, Singh and Benedict were in a motor vehicle belonging to Singh, when he shot her in the abdomen. Benedict was taken to the Lethem Regional Hospital by Singh where she immediately underwent surgery. According to the police, Singh was subsequently arrested and escorted to the Lethem Police Station where his licensed firearm was seized and lodged.
A few days later the police said that their investigation had revealed that the shooting was allegedly accidental. Singh who was in police custody since his arrest, was on Thursday placed on bail. The case file on the investigation was sent to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. Up to Tuesday, Commander Raphael Rose said that the file had not yet been returned.