RESIDENTS of Annandale said that at around 07:00 hrs there was heavy gunfire from two cars which were driving along the Annandale public road.

The shooting lasted for about a minute and occupants of both vehicles were apparently exchanging gunfire, they said.

According to reports, persons from a white car fired several shots at a dark green Toyota motorcar, licence plate PHH 7248, which was heading in the direction of Buxton.

During the shooting the dark green car made an abrupt stop after the driver was fatally hit by bullets.

Another man who was in the front seat of the vehicle was also shot dead.

Police said the driver of that car was identified as Lancelot Roache while the other man in the front seat was positively identified as Mark Fraser - one of the five dangerous prisoners who escaped February 23 from the Georgetown Prison.

Both men were shot in the head.

Witnesses said there were two other persons in the back seat of the car who escaped during the shooting - one of them a man who was reportedly wounded.

The other, a 17-year-old girl, was also wounded and was in Police custody assisting with investigations.

Reports said there were what appeared to be bloodstains on the ground in the direction where the wounded man went.

As the man was heading east of Annandale, he was held by public-spirited citizens, witnesses said.

However, a group of people from Buxton went to the scene, demanded his release and he was whisked away into that village, they said.

A reliable source said there was ample evidence that the man was severely wounded. He was apparently shot in his right forearm, his right leg and there was a wound in his head.

"I believe this man was drugged. I can't imagine with all those injuries he was still able to make it in to Buxton as though nothing went wrong", the source said.

The two other motor cars which were reportedly involved in the shooting were a white Toyota Sprinter PHH 5642 which was left abandoned at the entrance of Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara and was under Police guard yesterday morning.

The other car, a light coloured Toyota Mark II apparently ran off the road and was stuck in a trench about 400 metres from the scene of the shooting.

There were no bullet holes in the two vehicles.

A resident in the area said several stray bullets shattered the glass door on the front of his house and penetrated sections of the front wall.

He said a bullet grazed his wife's right shoulder. She was taken to hospital, treated and sent away.

There was a heavy Police and Army presence at the scene of the shooing and a large crowd of curious onlookers.