Bagotstown man gunned down outside Charlestown bakery
Stabroek News
November 13, 2002
A Bagotstown resident was chased and shot dead in Charlestown on Monday night by an unidentified gunman who then calmly walked away.
Dead is Joel Evans, 30, of 37 Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, who reports say was shot at least four times.
Evans had gone to a Ketley Street bakery around 10.15 pm to make a purchase when the unidentified man approached and began firing shots.
This was confirmed in a police press release yesterday which said that investigations are in progress to ascertain the circumstances leading to the shooting incident.
According to the release Evans was fatally shot as he was purchasing bread at a bakery at the corners of Sussex and Ketley Streets. The badly injured man, the release said, “was picked up by a public spirited citizen who rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”
Evans “received gunshot wounds to the face and left thigh. Two .32 spent shells were found at the scene.”
Reports are that Evans who is the nephew of murder victim, Tony Evans called ‘Buns-I’ had stopped at Humphrey’s Bakery when the gunman approached him and began firing shots.
He was hit in the leg but still tried to flee from his attacker. Residents in the vicinity recalled hearing several bursts of gunfire and later saw Evans fleeing north along Ketley Street with a man in pursuit.
Evans attempted to take shelter near to a shop located at the corner of Ketley and Howe streets when he collapsed in a pool of water. It was then that his assailant caught up with him and pumped several bullets into his body. He was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) in a minibus.
At his Bagotstown home yesterday shocked relatives and friends who had gathered on hearing the news, were at pains to explain why and by whom he had been targeted.
According to one relative Evans had left his home sometime after 10 pm on his burgundy scooter to drop a friend off in the city. It was after he had completed this that he had gone to the Charlestown bakery from where he was expected to visit a female acquaintance.
They were stunned at his killing since it had come only six weeks after that of his uncle Tony Evans who was himself gunned down on September 19 while standing at the corner of Hunter and James streets, Albouystown.
On that occasion, 20-year-old, Michael Allen of 212 Charlotte Street was also killed. No one has been held for that shooting but sources have said that Evans along with another relative had received death threats following his uncle’s murder.
According to relatives they could not see any valid reason for his killing since he was not known to be involved in anything to warrant such an act. He leaves to mourn two sons Joel, 9, and Jermey, 6, along with their mother Michelle Williams. (Oscar P. Clarke)
