Deandrell Semple, a 20-year-old resident of Lot 30 Kingelly Village, West Coast Berbice, was arrested yesterday by a rank from the Vigilance Police Station and charged with manslaughter in relation to the shooting death of 18-year-old Jared Jagnandan, which occurred on 2024-03-21 at SMK Shaf Auto Sales located at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.
The police say that at about 10 yesterday morning, the accused appeared at the Vigilance Magis-trate’s Court No.1 before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, where the charge was read to him.
He was not required to enter a plea. Bail was granted in the sum of $1,000,000. The defendant was also ordered to lodge his passport.
The case was adjourned to 2024-07-08 for a report and disclosure.
Jagnandan’s family had pressed for the police to advance the investigation as weeks had passed without any noticeable sign of progress.
A police release on the shooting had said that enquiries disclosed that Shaf Auto Sales is owned by a 27-year-old who resides in Canada and the business is operated by his brother.
According to the statement, the businessman said that at about 11:08 am on the day in question, he and his wife returned to the store after transacting business. At the time they met the security guard on duty and Jagnandan seated in a chair, a short distance away from the security officer’s desk.
The statement had said that according to the businessman “he and his wife proceeded to his office and a few minutes later, they heard a loud explosion in the store”.
The businessman said he immediately exited his office and saw the teen lying motionless on the ground with blood about the lower section of his body.
The security officer then told him that the teen had been shot, according to the statement from the police.
Jagnandan was picked up in an unconscious state and placed in a motor car, which is owned by Cerberus Security Service and taken to Woodlands Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor and later succumbed.
The matter was reported to Vigilance Police Station at about 2.10 pm, the police stated. Acting on the information received, the GPF said that they went to Woodlands Hospital where the body was examined and a gunshot wound was seen on the upper left leg.
