The son of a popular block-maker died at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) some time this morning after he was shot to his head yesterday, while his alleged assailant, who drove away following the incident, subsequently turned himself in.
Thirty-nine-year-old Shawn Nelson, aka” Redman,” of 63-64 D’urban Street, Lodge, was gunned down in the vicinity of Sweet Point, on Orange Walk, as he was making his way to Eagle’s Bar on Robb Street, where he worked as a sanitary technician.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud confirmed today that the man had died sometime this morning.
In a release yesterday, police said that Nelson “was involved in an argument with a man when .he was shot to his head.”
Nelson had been taken to the GPH in a critical condition yesterday and remained in a coma overnight.
The man’s brother, Alan Robinson, told Stabroek News that when he arrived on the scene of the shooting he learned from eyewitnesses that his brother’s assailant might be a close family friend.
“From the time they tell we the licence plate of the car (PKK 2030) I know right away that it was the man,” Robinson exclaimed.
The man explained that he has been familiar with the alleged shooter and his family ever since he was a child. He said that the man and Nelson practically grew up together and remained somewhat close to this day.
Robinson, who seemed unconvinced that the shooting could have been intentional, said that eyewitnesses suggested that it might have been an accident.
He said that eyewitnesses, patrons of Sweet Point, informed him that a white car pulled up near Nelson as he was walking along the road. The man said he was told that when Nelson saw his friend come out of the car he called out to him. “They say he (Nelson) hail the man up and ask he fuh a raise, and de man seh a raise? I only gah dis.
At this point Nelson’s assailant allegedly pulled out a weapon which discharged at least one round which struck Nelson in his head. Robin said he was told that the man then immediately entered his car. Eyewitnesses also said that the man appeared as though he may have been drinking.
Contrary to this account however, police yesterday stated that the two men might have been embroiled in an argument which ended in Nelson being shot.
At around 12:30hrs yesterday Robinson said he had just spoken to doctors who informed him that his brother had a very slim chance of living. “They tell me there really ain’t nothing they can do for him, all he head swell up big big big.”
Doctors at the GPH told Robinson that the bullet which penetrated his brother’s head shattered on impact, then scattered.
The pieces, they said, were scattered to various regions of the man’s brain, which made removing them, and ultimately saving his life, very difficult. “All of the small pieces still in the man head,” said Robinson.
Meanwhile, police recovered the car believed to be the one used by Nelson’s assailant on Aubrey Barker Road, North Ruimveldt, near “Last Entrance, where it had slammed into a utility pole. The car’s driver was nowhere to be found and the car was towed to the Brickdam Police Station compound where it remains.
“I just want see me brother live, that’s all I want to see,” said Donna Robinson, Nelson sister.
Donna also said that she knew the sister of her brother’s alleged assailant very well, and mentioned that he would even park his car at the family’s D’urban street residence for days.
She said that part of the reason she wanted her brother to live is so that his shooter’s punishment will be lighter than a “murder charge.”
“I don’t understand why he would do something like this. I know he since he was a lil boy. I know all he aunty cause we were neighbours.” Like Robinson, Donna also said she knew the shooter to be a “good good boy,” and was baffled as to what might have led to the shooting.
