Two days after two men were injured after gunmen opened fire at Melanie Damishana on the East Coast Demerara, two suspects have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigation.
Police in regional Division #4 ‘C’ are still investigating the shooting that occurred on Tuesday that injured Ryan Joseph, a 27-year-old lab technician of Melanie who was shot in his right leg, left leg, left hand, and abdomen. Bimal Veersammy suffered gunshot wounds to his right elbow and left leg above the knee, while a third man escaped unhurt. Stabroek News was reliably informed that the man that escaped unharmed has been identified by police.
The incident occurred at about 20:00 hours at Lot 7 Melanie Public Road, East Coast Demerara, and involved three unidentified males (two armed with small handguns and the other, the driver of a silver HD series motorcar).
According to the police report, Veersammy, Joseph, and the third person, were sitting in front of Joseph’s residence, when a silver bluebird motor car came from the westerly direction on the Melanie Public Road and stopped in front of the victims. Two masked men exited the back seat of the car and opened fire on Joseph and Veersammy causing them to run for safety.
After the shooting the masked men re-entered the waiting motor-car and drove away in a westerly direction. The victims were rushed to GPHC where they were admitted and are reportedly in a stable condition.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Joseph’s mother, Parbatie Bhagmat, said that she was inside while Joseph and his friends were sitting outside. She was about to go and take a bath when she saw the car and the men who came out and started shooting. Bhagmat recounted that she heard the gunshots and saw Joseph and his friends running.
“I was going to bathe and then me stand up and see two body run out the car and start shoot just like da. And he and he friend run and he lil brother in the hammock say ‘ow mi gad Ryan get shoot and them jump in the car and gone’. And meh start holler and meh run go tire shop and one lady say Ryan get shoot and he fall down. When meh go, he belly and foot in blood”, she said.
Joseph’s father stated that about 13 spent shells were recovered from the scene.
