Cops seeking man in Main Street ‘wild west’ shooting

Police yesterday said they are continuing their search for one of the men involved in the shooting incident early Sunday morning on Main Street that resulted in three persons being injured.

Stabroek News understands that the man, whose name the police has, is a regular at the New Courtyard Restaurant and Bar and is known to those who operate the business. The police conducted a search at the man’s house but he was nowhere to be found; earlier reports had indicated that the man had also been injured and had received treatment at a private institution.

Yesterday the police took a statement from Erasto Roberts of South Ruimveldt who is hospitalised with a gunshot wound to his chest which he sustained during Sunday morning’s gun play. Also injured during the incident, which happened outside of the New Courtyard, were 45-year-old Joseph Medford and 22-year-old Jamal Douglas who were treated for gunshot wounds to the left thigh and left instep respectively.

Reports had indicated that two men got into a heated argument after one reportedly stepped on the other’s foot and one of them, said to be the aggressor, was asked to leave the restaurant. However, the other man followed him outside and the argument continued resulting in both of them drawing their guns and firing at each other.

Medford, who was vending outside the night spot, had told Stabroek News that the men were arguing and one of them pulled out his gun and fired at the other. According to the injured man the man who was fired upon ran to his vehicle and removed a gun with which he fired back several shots.

Police in a release on Sunday said that the shooting occurred around 3:55 am and a search conducted on a motor car resulted in an unlicensed .32 Taurus pistol with five matching rounds being found. A 9 mm spent shell and a .32 spent shell were found on the scene by the police.