Shot Guyanese owner bemoans sloth in probe

The Guyanese businesswoman, who survived an armed robbery on her restaurant and bar in Barbados in July, says the police are dragging their feet and breaking promises that they will do everything in their power to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Christopher Griffith

The attack has left a bullet lodged near Silochani Samuels’ heart and ended the life of her close associate Christopher Anthony Griffith.

Some two months have passed since Samuels’ life was changed in a matter of minutes when a lone, masked gunman invaded her Lower Bay, St Michael, bar, but she still shivers whenever she thinks about that night. While the emotional scars are already too much for her to handle, Samuels who is originally from Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, now has to live with the physical effects of the ordeal – a problem with her lungs, damaged ribs and a bullet lodged behind her heart for the rest of her life.

Samuels had been living in Barbados for the past 16 years and operating her business for the last four.

On that tragic night, Griffith called ‘Chrissy’, 26, also a Guyanese of Redman Village, St Thomas and a former resident of Pomona Village, Essequibo was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene.

Griffith, who had arrived at the bar, minutes before the intruder, was shot after Samuels. The gunman then collected about Bds$500, which was in the cash register, and fled.

Silochani Samuels

Speaking to Stabroek News from the island recently, the still-distraught Samuels expressed disgust and disappointment at the way police were handling their investigations.

“They are not doing anything in the matter. All they doing is promising to come. I have to be the one calling them all the time,” she pointed out adding that while she was hospitalized, officers visited her and made a promise that they would find the gunman.

She added that for several days, ranks said that they would visit her at home, to show her some photographs of possible suspects but they have not turned up.

“To my mind, they are not working fast enough. They giving me the run around and I didn’t expect it,” she said.

The businesswoman, who has since reopened her bar under the management of a friend, told this newspaper that she needed justice if not for herself, for Griffith, who was killed.

She recalled how nice a person he was, noting that there was no scramble between him and the gunman.

The woman said she was not satisfied or comfortable with the police’s investigation.

“I am willing to work with them 100%. I would do anything to get justice but they need to meet me halfway,” she said.

Motive was robbery

Samuels recalled that six weeks before the July 19 attack, two armed men had invaded her bar some time after 11 pm. Then, no customers were there; just two staff members. The woman said that since then she desisted from keeping large amounts of cash around and would move the money periodically leaving only the small change behind.

She insisted that while the second incident was different from the first, it was also a robbery that went bad.

Samuels explained that in the second attack, the bar was full, it was early in the evening, it was only one person, and this was the reason for her initial conclusion that it was a joke.

“I work hard for myself and family. I don’t have a racial or nationality issue with anybody…These gunmen are those youngsters who don’t want to work but just want to make fast money,” she stressed.

Recounting the events of that night, Samuels said that she was standing behind the bar counter looking on at the many customers who were enjoying the atmosphere when she saw a man standing in the entrance. She said that he had a little gun pointed at her and there was a red, white and black scarf covering the bottom half of his face.

“I though it was a joke and I stretch my hand to pull it … then I realized that it was serious,” she recalled adding that shortly after that she was shot in the arm. The bullet exited her arm and passed though her side in the region of her breast before lodging itself behind her heart.

Though she was in and out of consciousness on the floor, Samuels said that from where she lay she could have seen the front and side doors. She recalled hearing footsteps and screaming as her patrons made a mad dash for safety.

She said she noticed Griffith standing at the side door and then heard a single gunshot. The woman recalled that he stumbled towards her as though he was rushing to help her but then she realized that he had been shot.

Stabroek News was told that the police were close by and were able to arrive at the scene quickly. By then, however, the assailant had fled, on foot.

No one did anything

Samuels told this newspaper that at the time of the incident, the shop was filled with mostly Guyanese yet no one did anything to stop the lone intruder.

She added that none of her patrons has since gone to the police to assist with investigations. Asked what the reason was for this, she said that most of them were illegal and believed that if they spoke, their stay on the island would be at risk.

The woman said persons who were in the shop were able to recount details. She said she was told that Griffith, who would often help her out, arrived about 20 minutes before the shooting. She stressed that people even told her that the man walked out of the store calmly headed in the direction of the nearby traffic lights.

After her release from hospital, Samuels later had to return to drain out fluid that was in her lungs.

She was hospitalized for seven days on that occasion and now has to attend clinic every two weeks.

She said the doctors have told her that she has a better chance of survival if the bullet were left where it is.

“The bullet missed some vital parts but I am lucky. God give me a second chance and I will make him proud,” she added.

Though Griffith, who was a carpenter, was wearing jewellery, it was not taken by the gunman after he was shot.

His remains were subsequently flown here and he was laid to rest in his home village.