Mon Repos handyman shot dead in robbery

Christopher Swamy
Christopher Swamy

A Mon Repos man was fatally shot during a robbery as he celebrated with his family at his home early yesterday morning.

Dead is Christopher Swamy, 30, a handyman and father of one of Lot 161 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Police said the incident occurred at around 1:30 am yesterday.

In a statement, the police said that investigations revealed that Swamy, his wife and her sister, along with Rawle Williams, 28, and his sister Marcia Williams, 38, of Mon Repos, ECD, were liming and imbibing in front of the deceased’s home, when they were pounced upon by two masked men, one of whom was brandishing a handgun.

The suspects reportedly relieved Marcia of her cellphone and a sum of cash, lashed Rawle on his head and shot Swamy in the left region of his chest after which they fled the scene.

Swamy and Rawle were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where Swamy was pronounced dead on arrival while Rawle was treated and admitted. His condition is said to be stable.

A male suspect has been arrested, the police said.

Marcia told Stabroek News yesterday that she, Swamy, his wife and her sister, her brother and his wife were all gathered on the bridge in front of the home having a get-together as Rawle had only returned from the interior on Saturday.

She recalled that about 10 minutes after Swamy and his wife arrived at the home, they were attacked by the masked men, one of whom was armed with a gun, and who demanded their phones, money and jewellery.

“Christopher was one of the last persons they took stuff from,” she said, “and they just shot him before they left.”

Relatives said as far as they knew, neither Williams nor Swamy had issues with anyone.

One family member indicated that she suspects that her relatives were followed. According to her, when Swamy and his wife arrived at the home from Flower City at Better Hope, where they worked, the bandits arrived afterwards in a vehicle. The relative said she was informed that the vehicle was parked down the road from the home and after the shooting, the men ran to the waiting car.

Marcia related that a CT scan was done on her brother and he remains in a stable condition at the hospital.