Police who were alerted about the attack said they found Gavin Sobers, 17, dead in front the door of the house.

Melroy Goodman, 26, who told Police he was in his house with Sobers, was shot in the abdomen and was critical in the Georgetown Hospital late yesterday afternoon.

Police, who are investigating the incident, said the attack took place at about 02:30 hrs.

Goodman told them he and Sobers were in the house when a `channa bomb' (bottle bomb) was thrown through a window and gunshots were fired. Goodman was shot in the abdomen and told Police he jumped through a window and fled to relatives who took him to the Vigilance Police Station where he made a report.

Police, in a press release, said they visited the scene, found spent shells and Sobers dead in front of the door. Sobers had been shot, Police said.

Police said investigators took a tracker dog to the scene on Church Road in the village and investigations were continuing.

Goodman, also known as `Budhai', was reportedly shot three times.

Sobers, who lived with his parents and other siblings on Golden Apple/Grant Road in the same village, was said to have been overnighting in the small house.

The teenager's father Derek Sobers said, "As far as I am aware, he never get himself involve with people and get involve in fights..."

Sobers, a mason and general construction worker, was also a member of the Under-17 East Coast Demerara football team. He was to have played in a football match yesterday, his father said.

The elder Sobers, who was in the Guyana National Service, said he was trained in the use of firearms and reasoned that his son was shot at close range since "powder burns" were on his forehead. This, he said, indicated that the lad was shot almost at point blank range.

A neighbour said it was only after she and the rest of her family woke up and saw persons gathered next door that she discovered that two persons had been shot.

"The rain was falling and we didn't hear anything," she said.

Mr. Sobers said he received the devastating message that his son was shot dead early yesterday morning.

Fighting to keep his composure and holding back tears, he said he last saw his son alive at about 18:30 hrs (6:30 p.m.) Friday.

It is understood that Sobers played several games of pool at a shop in the area but did not return home afterwards.

Instead, he went to Goodman's house to spend the night.