Three men were killed last night and seven persons injured in a mysterious Albouystown shooting spree that shocked the neighbourhood and sent many diving for cover.
Up to last night it was unclear who the shooters were and the motive for the attack.
There were conflicting accounts with residents alleging that the shooting was done by the police who in preliminary statement last night said that the shooting erupted between two carloads of would-be bandits and unknown persons.
Those killed were Richard Bobb, 25, of Sophia, Anil Baijnauth, 28, of La Penitence Street, Albouystown and fifty-nine-year-old Eustace Bobb.
Those injured were Leonard Small, 53, of James & La Penitence Street, Albouystown; Lakraj Ragubir, 37 of 132 Independence Boulevard, Nicholas Faydai, 23; Victor Nelson, 74, of 15 Howes Street, Charlestown; Audrey Barker, 55, of 161 James Street, Albouystown; Quacy Tapping, seven, of La Penitence Street, who was shot in the leg; and Simone Bailey, 24, of Albouys Street, La Penitence.
According to residents in the area where the shooting occurred at the corner of James and La Penitence Streets, most of the persons killed and injured were at the time sitting at the corner when two vehicles pulled up and open fire. Residents were firmly of the view that these vehicles had police connections.
However, Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent David Ramnarine in a preliminary statement last evening said that between 7:30 and 7:45 pm a group of men in two cars pulled up in Albouystown with the intention of committing a robbery on a shop in the area.
He said one of the men from the cars was shot by a person or persons unknown and there was an exchange of gunfire. The police said that the men in the two cars then attempted to escape and fired off shots as they left. One of the cars was later found abandoned somewhere in the city and the licence plate number was given as, HA 7711.
The shooting incident took place in front of the L. Small Grocery Store, which is owned by Leonard Small who was injured in the shooting.
From all accounts given by residents and relatives of the injured, some of the persons were `liming' at the corner when the two vehicles sped by and opened fire on the corner.
Some were heard speculating that last night's shooting could have been in retaliation for the shooting to death of Constable Lloyd Cameron yesterday morning. (See story on centre pages.)
When Stabroek News arrived on the scene scores of persons had congregated and were attempting to get a glimpse of the body of the younger Bobb which was on the road covered in a sheet.
There was no police presence at the scene at that point and onlookers surrounded the body which was later removed by employees of the Lyken Funeral Home.
Bobb, who is also called `Blackout', is said to be a regular `limer' on the corner.
"Oh Blackout is why de do this to you, why?", "Oh God is nah Blackout! Who do this?" were some of the anguished words of numerous females who converged around the body of the dead man.
Persons in the area recalled hearing rapid gunfire which they said emanated from men in the two vehicles and after which the bodies were discovered on the road.
The injured and two of the dead persons were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation by public-spirited citizens.
According to reports, initially there was a police presence on the scene although they were not protecting the crime scene. When members of the media arrived the policemen made their exit.
One resident, whose glass windows were shattered by the bullets, recalled, "all I hear is gunshots bow, bow and me ent wait to see nothing else I just run in and lock up me house. I was out hey (pointing to the road in front of his home) fixing this car when the gunshots start firing and I just run in." Asked if he saw any vehicles during the shooting the man responded, "Lovely, I ent wait fuh see no vehicle I just run in and close me doors."
At the scene there was a large pool of blood on the pavement in front of the shootout and an abandoned slipper and black plastic bag lay next to the blood.
Some reports indicated that the shootout could have started in Laing Avenue, East La Penitence, where gunfire erupted shortly before the bloodbath.
According to a resident in the area three men ran through Laing Avenue just around 7.30 pm ordering persons to get inside. The source said that the men were armed and some persons did not heed their warning and so they started to fire gunshots into the air to ensure that residents complied.
According to reports the men acted as if they were being chased and as if they expected that there would have been a confrontation between them and other persons.
"Some persons did not heed their warning and they just started firing gunshots and everyone ran into their house and close their doors." One resident recalled that a man was outside with his baby and when the men started firing the shots the man dropped his baby and ran and a split second later returned and picked the baby up before sprinting into his home.
The resident said that seconds after the shooters disappeared a police vehicle raced through the avenue as if it was in pursuit of the men.
It was while speaking to this resident that another resident reported that bodies were lying on the road in Albouystown.
When Stabroek News raced to the scene only the body of the younger Bobb was on the road while the others were already at the hospital.
Chaos reigned at the hospital with scores of persons converging at the institution. Weeping and wailing could be heard all around.
"Oh Anil, Oh Anil is dead you dead?" were the words of a female relative of Anil who held on to the stretcher as the porters wheeled the body out of the hospital.
"Man you all sure dah man dead? Dah man get shoot in he foot you all check and see if he dead," another male relative said while other female relatives surrounded the stretcher weeping loudly.
Baijnauth, who is the second of five children and the only boy, was said to have had brushes with the law before. His family described him as a watch vendor and his father stated last night that his neighbours had warned him to keep his children off the corner as they would get into trouble.
Baijnauth was shot somewhere in the vicinity of the groin and is said to have bled to death.
Albouystown has been the scene of several bloody shootings over the last year that has resulted in multiple deaths.