Suspected robber shot during botched hold-up

An armed bandit was shot several times yesterday when he attempted to hold up a businessman in Section K  Campbellville.

Enrico Inniss, 27, of 847 South Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara is a patient under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was taken after he was wounded during an exchanged of gunfire. Police said after a failed robbery attempt Inniss attempted to flee on a motor cycle driven by an accomplice but fell off. His accomplice rode away.

In a statement, police said that the incident occurred around 8:50am at Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown, where Inniss was shot and injured by Oudit Seenarain of Prashad Nagar—a businessman and licensed firearm holder, whom he had attempted to rob. Investigations revealed that Seenarain was returning to his vehicle when he was approached by a man armed with a firearm who told him that it was a robbery. “Seenarain drew his firearm and both men discharged rounds at each other resulting in the perpetrator being shot to his right foot and buttocks,” police reported. Inniss, however, managed to escape on a motor cycle driven by an accomplice. Later the police were informed by public spirited persons that a man was lying on the roadway at Lamaha Gardens with suspected gunshot injuries and upon checking they discovered that it was the same man who had attacked Seenarain. A .38 Taurus revolver with two spent shells were found in his possession.

The incident occurred outside a Lamaha Gardens day care centre located at the corners of Enachu Street and Bel Air Road and persons in the area voiced condemnation, particularly at the proximity of the events to children. This newspaper was unable to contact Seenarain, who a senior police officer said was also a rural constable. Crime Chief Seelall Persaud later confirmed that Seenarain drove to the Prashad Nagar outpost and reported the matter. Persaud said that the incident evolved around an attempted robbery, but could not say what the man was after. He added that ranks have not yet been able to speak with the wounded man.

Several residents recounted that the businessman, who was wearing “a big gold chain,” was approached by a well dressed young man near the day care. Within seconds they heard several shots. According to one resident, the robber was caught by surprise when his intended victim pulled out a gun and opened fire. The gunman was later seen stumbling towards a blue motor cycle parked several meters away on Koam Road, which is the continuation of Bel Air Road. It was at this point that it was realised that the man was injured. He still managed to climb on his accomplice’s cycle and they sped off around the corner. The two made it over the first speed bump but while attempting to ride over a second one, the wounded gunman fell.

While on the road, a resident reported, that the man’s cell phone started ringing but he was unable to answer it. He, however, did manage to throw some bullets into the nearby bushes and the resident could not say if the police were able to retrieve them. The resident noted too, that the gun, he had was very rusty.

Within ten minutes, several vanloads of policemen arrived on the scene and the almost lifeless wounded man was tossed into one and taken to hospital.

An employee of the day care centre said that gunshots were heard but no one ventured out since the children could not be left unattended. She noted that at the time of the incident parents were bringing their children into the compound. After the gunfire ended, she said, the parent who was the focus of the attack left the area with the child.

A resident of the area said recently persons have stolen articles from his yard and even threw glass bottles at his home in an apparent bid to scare him. The man said that it is unfortunate that many young men are turning to a life of crime instead of looking for a job. When contacted, Inniss’s mother Lorraine refused to comment on the incident.

However, when pressed, the woman stated that she was aware that her son had been injured. She told this newspaper that she went to the hospital and was told that he had to have an emergency surgery. She stressed that this was all she was going to say on the issue.