Veronica Atherley, the 59–year-old newspaper vendor who sustained a gunshot wound to her hip last Saturday after a man opened fire on two robbers and missed his target, was moved to the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital from the Female Surgical Ward after her condition took a turn for the worse.

Veronica Atherley

When Stabroek News visited the hospital yesterday afternoon, the woman’s relatives were all expressing hope to each other that she would recover from her injuries. According to a relative, Atherley’s condition deteriorated early on Monday morning and she was subsequently moved to the ICU where she was hooked up to a life support machine. The man said that the woman was in a semi-conscious state yesterday afternoon, noting that she appeared to have improved slightly from the day before.

Stabroek News understands that the woman’s relatives wanted to transfer her to a private medical institution but changed their minds because of the condition she was in yesterday.

When Stabroek News visited the woman on Sunday, she was crying out in pain as she related her condition to relatives.

Atherley was sitting at her stand in the Stabroek Market area on Saturday afternoon selling newspapers when she was shot by the licensed firearm holder. According to reports, two men attempted to rob the man in the Stabroek Market area and while attempting to flee, the man opened fire on the duo, missing his target in the process.

Atherley was hit in the region of her hip and was immediately rushed to the public hospital, bleeding profusely from the wound. The shooter attempted to flee after he realized that he had shot and injured the woman but several persons pursued him and he was apprehended. Stabroek News understands that the man was released on station bail sometime yesterday.