'Helter-skelter'

Leaving the station, the gang split into two groups; one proceeding on the railway embankment and another through Company Road, Buxton. On their way into the village they came upon an army patrol on the embankment and Company Road and opened fire on the armed ranks. The soldiers responded, discharging rounds at them. An eyewitness to the exchange between the residents and the soldiers said that when the army began to shoot the gang split with everyone running `helter-skelter'. But even as they ran, some of them discharged rounds in the direction of the soldiers who took evasive action and returned fire.

This exchange lasted for a little more than 45 minutes, and when it ended Clive McRae was discovered with gunshot wounds to his shoulder. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GHPC) where he is currently under police guard. According to the eyewitness, after the initial exchange, the gunmen quieted down. But after a little while they started discharging live rounds periodically in the direction of the soldiers and in the air. Also, explosive devices were set off. The gunplay came to an abrupt end at around 9 pm.

Tennis rolls and mosquito coil

It is believed that it was during the confrontation with the police that Duncan was shot. His mother said that he had left his home at about 8 pm to purchase a bag of tennis rolls and a box of mosquito coils. She said she retired to bed and was not aware that her son had not returned home. The grieving mother said it was at around 5 am yesterday that Duncan's youngest brother asked about his whereabouts and it was discovered that he was not home.

According to the woman, because she knew her son was not in the habit of sleeping out they immediately became suspicious, more so because of the gunfire they had heard the night before. They mounted a search for the man in the village and started asking residents if they might have seen him.

It was not long before a relative observed Duncan's body in a trench not far from his home. She said Duncan's entire body was submerged except for his fingers, which could have been seen above the water. Residents yesterday said that from all indications the man was frantically trying to get out of the trench since he had some of the moss from the trench clenched in his hands. The relatives were yesterday leveling allegations against members of the GDF who they blamed for the young man's death. The question was raised as to how Duncan ended up in the trench. Residents were of the opinion that he might have been fleeing from the army's bullets, was hit and fell in.

However, the GDF denied knowing anything about the man's death. Major Hubert Meusa of the Public Relations Department said that Duncan was shot with a pistol - a weapon that the soldiers do not use on patrols in Buxton. He also said that the police were not in the village that night. Another theory was that he was shot by the men who had attacked the army patrol.

It was about 10:30 yesterday morning that undertakers from the Ashton and Debra Funeral Chapel arrived at Buxton for the body of Duncan. Upon the hearse's arrival a large crowd flocked around an abandoned stall where Duncan was placed covered with salt bags and coconut branches. His body was drenched with mud and at the back of his head was a gunshot wound.

When the uproar on Thursday night quieted, it had seemed as if everything was going to return to normal. But on discovering the remains of Duncan yesterday four gunmen took matters into their own hands and ventured onto the public road, shooting at vehicles indiscriminately.

Shooting blitz

An eyewitness told this newspaper that at around 6 am the four young men emerged from the village, passing through a cross street which separates Church Road from the Sideline Dam. The eyewitness said that the men were known criminals in the area, "while they might not be wanted men they are usually seen doing mischief in the village, lighting (debris on) the road and other things." The eyewitness recounted that two of them stood in the street while the other two stood at the middle of the public road. According to the eyewitness, the two men on the road staged a five-minute shooting blitz on vehicles travelling to the city but fortunately no one was injured.

The eyewitness recalled that it was around 6:15 am, when the Berbicians, who had covered good ground on their way out of the village, were gunned down. The eyewitness said that while the two on the road held up the traffic, the two in the street discharged a hail of gunshots shattering the windows of the men's car. The eyewitness added that the two men in the street fired shots in quick succession. Pomdass who was the driver and Sahadeo were in the front seat. Stabroek News understands that Persaud and his son who were in the back seat ducked and the bullets flew over their heads. For over seven minutes, the eyewitness told Stabroek News, gunshots were fired wildly and when the gunmen realised that they had killed Pomdass and Sahadeo they walked calmly back through the street and disappeared. When the gunmen departed, Persaud and his son emerged dazed from the car and ran into nearby Annandale where residents provided them shelter.

Both Persaud and his son, who were USA bound, later checked in at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and boarded a Universal Airlines aircraft.

Car was hired for airport run

Stabroek News was told by Sahadeo's son, Hemraj that Pomdass was hired to take the Persauds to the airport and his father who is a relative of the Persauds, was accompanying them. Hemraj told this newspaper that his father and his relatives left yesterday at about 1:30 am for the airport. He said that Pomdass, a father of two girls and one boy, had only purchased the car a few days ago and it was his first trip to the airport. He said that he heard of the killings from the Persauds who contacted him before travelling to the US.

Sahadeo is a father of seven and a grandfather of 12 and was described as a kind and good person. Pomdass was wearing a black and white jersey with grey pants, while Sahadeo wore a black and white long sleeve shirt and black pants. Pomdass, who was shot in his left temple and on his chest, was observed slumped on his car's steering wheel. Sahadeo, who was shot in the back and in the head, was crouched on Pomdass' leg. In the back seat was a large pool of blood along with several pieces of broken glass and spent shells. In the car's trunk were two large suitcases and four handbags.

For over three hours the East Coast Highway was tense as minibuses and commuters hearing of the incident took no chances in passing through Buxton. For about an hour, before the army responded to the shooting, Buxtonians stood in the streets looking on but no one ventured close to the scene. When members of the GPF arrived in pick-up trucks, one hour after the GDF, some of the residents who were earlier standing on the road returned to their homes.

The shooting deaths on the public road are likely to raise questions over the effectiveness of army patrols. These patrols were intended to ensure, among other things, the safety of commuters passing Buxton in light of numerous previous attempts by villagers to obstruct traffic and attack vehicles.