Two men were shot early yesterday morning along the Sarah Johanna Public Road after they tried to intervene in an argument between one of their relatives and a licensed firearm holder.
Welton Edwards, 50, and his nephew Sherwin Hamilton, 40, of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, are now both hospitalised after the shooting, which occurred at about 12.05 am, while the shooter is in police custody.
Edwards was shot twice to his back and was being treated at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) up to yesterday afternoon. Hamilton, who is also a patient at the hospital, was shot six times to his lower body, including his left foot.
Police yesterday said the shooting is under investigation.
According to Raymond Hamilton, who is the brother of Sherwin Hamilton, the shooting had its genesis in his attempt to buy two GT-brand beers at a shop at the public road. However, he was told by the bartender that the beers were only for employees. As a result, Raymond said, he went to retrieve two bottles so that he could buy Banks-brand beers instead but he was attacked by the licensed firearm holder, who hit him to his mouth.
Raymond said someone at the barbershop called Sherwin, who soon arrived.
The man recounted that they had a talk, after which the firearm holder placed the weapon to his head. He said the man instructed him: “Tell them don’t come. I will shoot them.”
Sherwin left and returned with Edwards but before they could approach the man, he started to shoot, he added. Sherwin was shot first, followed by Edwards.
“After the two men got shot, I ask him why he behaving like that and he try to shoot me too but I manage to dodge,” Raymond said. He added that the shooter then got into a vehicle and drove away.
It was later learnt that the shooter drove straight to the Timehri Police Station.
The motive for the shooting was unclear and Edwards’ wife, Sharon Edwards, said she was unsure if Raymond might have stolen the two bottles that he was going to use to buy the beers from the shooter, resulting in the argument and shooting.
When Stabroek News spoke with her at the GPH yesterday, she said she was watching television when she heard a villager from her street shouting. “‘Sharon, come! Some-body get shoot and dead on the public road!” the villager shouted. “I then went and put on some clothes and rushed to the scene and upon arriving I saw my husband lying on the ground, with my sister-in-law standing over him all shocked,” the woman added.
She said upon learning it was her husband, she started to shout and then everyone ran out to the scene.
The still terrified woman also said that Sherwin was not at the same spot where her husband was lying. He was a good distance away and she believed he ran after he was shot.
The men were taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, from where they were later transferred to the GPH.
