A 19-year-old was shot in his face on Saturday night as he tried to avoid what appeared to be an attempted robbery at his family’s Good Hope, East Coast Demerara home.
Anzal Ledoux was shot once during the attack, which took place around 9.30 pm at Phase One, Good Hope on Saturday.
He is currently admitted as a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where his condition is listed as stable.
He has since undergone surgery to remove the warhead, which was lodged in the region of his left ear. Doctors are expected to conduct further tests to establish whether Ledoux will be able to hear from the injured ear again.
The entire episode was captured by CCTV surveillance cameras, which monitor the house.
Divisional Commander Leslie James yesterday told Stabroek News that an investigation has been launched and efforts are being made to apprehend Ledoux’s assailants.
Ledoux’s mother, Gangadai Jairam, called ‘Julie,’ yesterday told Stabroek News that she, her husband—businessman Shafeik Ledoux—and their children were among a group of around ten persons, who had gathered and were chatting on their bridge.
She said they were alarmed when they noticed two men pass by on a motorcycle.
“We stand up by the bridge and meh neighbour them pass, so meh husband [Shafeik] call them and abe stand up ah gaff and then between dah, the two guys [bandits] pass with the motorbike,” Jairam said.
She explained that when the men passed their house, the pillion rider was seen looking at them suspiciously and observing the surroundings. “When them pass them drive. But when them reach like in the street, them turn back. So when them turn back, them just look at we, them nah turn the bike back and then them keep going and them come around from the other street in less than a minute,” Jairam related.
The woman said at this point, she became suspicious since she noticed the men were returning.
As a result, she said she tried to get everyone into the yard. “…Suh me seh, leh abe hustle and go inside because them always ah seh them (bandits) ah come with motorbike now,” Jairam related.
Jairam said they all rushed into the yard, after which Anzal braced the gate from inside the yard to keep it closed. “Me seh this nah look nice, ayo run and abe run. Meh push meh lil one [child], meh push meh cousin them all, family friend, everybody, me and meh son ah try duh push,” she added.
She said the youngest among them was her four-year-old daughter.
“…Then meh run in. Everybody try fuh come in and when they come in, meh son [Anzal] lef. He was in the yard still. He come in and he brace the gate. He couldn’t geh fuh padlock it but he brace it and the brace wah he brace it, the man [gunman] push he hand and when he push he hand, meh son knock he like. Meh nah know if he knock he fah knock out the gun but he knock he. Me nah know if he see he gah one gun or he nah realise it but after he knock he hand he probably he get angry and then is when he fire the shot,” Jairam said.
She said although Anzal tried to get out of the way, he was still struck. “When the bullet fire, then he duck and dah duck wah he duck then is when he get hit,” she added.
Jairam said after Anzal was shot, he ran further into the yard and subsequently collapsed.
She said she rushed to his assistance and noticed he was bleeding from his ear. “The fastest thing we coulda do was rush he to the hospital,” she said.
While all this was happening, the accomplice remained seated on the motorcycle. The gunman later rejoined him and they sped away.
‘Meh put down meh knee at the hospital and meh beg and meh pray fuh leh nothing nah do am because meh child good, meh child nah wrong to nobody, he don’t fight with people,” Jairam said.
The woman added that the incident has left her entire family traumatised to the extent that they are considering migration.
