Miner found at Tuschen with gunshot wound

A 46-year old miner was yesterday afternoon discovered with a gunshot wound to the right side of his abdomen in his bathroom by family members after they returned home from church.

According to reports, Kenneth Melville originally from Barima/Waini, Region One was staying at his sister’s home at 38 Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo when he was discovered with the wound.

After the discovery, Melville was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was x-rayed before undergoing an emergency operation to have the bullet removed. He remains a patient at the Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

Melville’s sister Carlotta Melville told Stabroek News that her brother had moved to Tuschen to live with another sister about two weeks ago. She said that he was left alone at home while the rest of the household attended church and when they returned he was discovered in the bathroom in a semi-conscious state with the wound sometime around 12 pm.

Melville’s sister said he is a licensed firearm holder and owns a shotgun but she could not ascertain whether his shotgun was used or not.

She said “He is a licensed firearm holder and we cannot say if his gun was used but the police have taken the gun.”

Carlotta said he has no known enemies but recalled a woman with whom he once shared a relationship. They separated about a month ago. She said that a few days back he received a threatening phone call from the woman who told him “you gon see what gon come your way.”

Carlotta said that the incident was reported to the police and noted that Kenneth had a rocky relationship with the woman. He went to the Alberttown Police Station in a bid to restrain her several times.

“He had taken her in the bush (interior) and they used to fight all the time and he tell she that he nah want she back and he even went to the police station for she because of the behaviour,” she recalled.

Sources from the area said that they saw nothing out of the ordinary.