A South Ruimveldt man has been hospitalized after he was shot in the abdomen on Sunday night seconds after two bandits relieved him of the gold jewellery he was wearing.
Mark Hunte underwent emergency surgery at a city hospital and according to relatives the man is in a stable condition. The bullet entered the right side and existed through his back, damaging the pants he was wearing.
A spent shell was recovered and up to press time last evening the police were looking for the two men who were described as young and well dressed.
When Stabroek News visited the Lot 17 Tucville address where the incident occurred, the spot on a road side shop where the bullet had struck after exiting Hunte’s body was still evident. The man had gone to the area to hang out with friends and relatives.
The man’s cousin Deborah Wilson recalled that Hunte and a friend were sitting in front of the shop while she was across the road on a horse cart. She said that it was just around 10 pm when the two men just walked up and while brandishing a gun, said “nobody don’t f…ing move”.
They then snatched the chain, Hunte was wearing and then shot him at point blank range. Before the single gunshot rank out, the accomplice was heard telling the gunman to “finish him (Hunte) off”.
Wilson said that the modus operandi of the bandits is puzzling her since, Hunte made no attempt to put up resistance yet he was shot. It is believed that the men who may have been watching Hunte also removed other gold jewellery he was wearing.
They then fled down a poorly lit road before turning south into Gibson Street, a stone’s throw away.
The woman recalled that it was only minutes before the incident that she was standing behind, Hunte.
She said that she saw the two men walking along the road towards them acting normal. She said when they reached where Hunte was sitting, they suddenly turn in and one pulled out a gun.
She said that although there were persons in close proximity to where the incident occurred, “dem man ain’t had no time with who deh round. They just do they thing and left”.
Wilson recalled that they picked up a conscious Hunte and took him to the hospital where he spent several hours in the operating theatre.
Hunte, relatives said is in the habit of wearing gold jewellery. He was robbed about five years ago.
According to Wilson about 30 minutes before the incident a police patrol had passed through the area. It was reported to this newspaper that there are many robberies in the Tucville area.
Yesterday friends and relatives of the wounded man pleaded with the police to patrol the area regularly especially late at nights.
This newspaper was told that the police turned up at the scene hours after the incident but Wilson said that it was probably because they received the report late.
