Updated: Man goes berserk, chops two to death

A man and a woman died after a man went berserk on Howes Street, Charlestown at around 10 am and chopped them.  The dead man has been identified as Frederick Blackman, believed to be in his 70s and the woman has been identified as Ann Cham-a-Koon, 38. Two others are reported to be injured.

Sean De Souza, one of the injured men, was chopped to his shoulder and neck and is now being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The other injured man has been identified as Radesh Persaud and he was chopped to his head. De Souza’s wife told Stabroek News that the chopper is a man of unsound mind and he has been apprehended by the police. His name has been given as William Lyte and he is said to be in his late 20s or early 30s. She said she and her husband were in their house when they heard a commotion. Her husband went outside and was chopped in the melee.

The murderer had been living in the same house with Blackman for several weeks and is said to b e a distant relative. Residents said he had been behaving strangely in recent days and had confessed to strange feelings. Lyte was also seen sharpening a cutlass several days ago. Cham-a-Koon lived up the road from Blackman and was fatally chopped after she went to see what was happening. Earlier Persaud had been chased and chopped by the man.