Eighteen-year-old Ronson Grey, who was shot in the mouth by police last Saturday, is out of danger but his condition remains serious and he is still in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Grey was shot by police who opened fire on a carload of youths early Saturday morning, killing one, seriously wounding another, shooting another in the hand and leaving two others traumatised.
Yohance Douglas, eighteen, died as a result of a bullet to his chest.
Another youth, O’Neil King was shot in the hand while Quacy Heywood and Randolph Goodluck are said to be traumatised after witnessing the horrific incident and being made to spend one night in custody at Eve Leary.
Grey, a second year International Relations student at the University of Guyana suffered a broken jaw as a result of the bullet which also knocked out his bottom front teeth and damaged his tongue.
Yesterday, President of the Guyana Public Service Union, Patrick Yarde and trade unionist, Lincoln Lewis, visited the injured youth. Surrounded by numerous get well cards and flowers, Grey was lying on his back with his mouth open. His speech was barely audible as he attempted to thank those who had visited.
The young man’s father, Maurice Colin Grey who flew into the country from the USA said he wanted his son to return to “perfect health but if that could not be done, the best possible. Right now I am so overwhelmed.
Until now I haven’t experienced the full impact, I don’t know, maybe when I go back to work I would begin to feel the whole effect of this. But right now I am so overwhelmed that sometimes I can’t even think.”
The older Grey said he would be going all out to see that justice was done.
“In terms of the legal outcome I want to see these guys face the maximum penalty that the law would allow, nothing less.
And I will be very disappointed, not only because it is my son but when you consider somebody else lost their kid, I am fortunate to still have my kid but somebody else lost a kid and I don’t want to know that that kid’s life goes down in vain. And the only way I would be satisfied that his life is not in vain is if these guys responsible will face the maximum penalty.”
The man said should the officers be brought before the courts it would cause others to have “first, second, third, fourth and even fifth thoughts before they even attempt to do anything of the sort.”
Grey noted that incidents like Saturday’s had happened before and if people had been made to pay and held responsible maybe that latest incident would not have occurred.
Meanwhile, the University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS) continued its protest action for the fourth day by joining the Women Against Violence Everywhere (WAVE) at the Cenotaph.