Masked gunmen on motorcycle shot and killed two men on Wednesday night at a shop in Vigilance South East Coast Demerara.
The victims have been identified as 22-year-old Cordel August, a wash bay attendant residing at Lot 8815 Vigilance South, and 35-year-old Eon Headley, a self-employed resident of the same area.
The incident occurred around 10:00 p.m. at a shop in Vigilance.
According to police reports from Regional Division #4C, initial investigations reveal that the victims were gathered at a shop when two masked males, dressed in black and riding a motorcycle, approached the group. The suspects discharged several rounds in their direction, hitting both men. The men were escorted to the Enmore Regional Hospital by public-spirited citizens, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
Their bodies were later taken to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home for post-mortem examinations.
Actmeholda August, sister of the deceased Cordel told Guyana Standard that she had just came out of the bathroom and was preparing to get dressed when she heard gunshots.
Actmeholda said that initially, she heard four shots, and the others followed rapidly. She said she hurried to get clothes when her younger brother approached and said he heard someone had died as a result of the shooting. She mentioned that at the time, they were clueless that it was Cordel. The brother then rushed to the scene, returned for his vehicle, and revealed that it was Cordel.
“He run back and said oh shucks, is Cordel and my brother drive his car to go pick up our brother. Cordel had a rude boy in his hand on the ground,” she explained.
Prior to the incident, she recounted that her last moments with her bother was after he returned from the Chinese supermarket around 9:40 p.m. and headed to the shop shortly before the attack.
The bereaved sister said her brother was at the wrong place at the wrong time and that he was not the intended target.
Actmehold told the Guyana Standard that he was shot three times, and in a defensive act, he reportedly grabbed the suspect’s firearm and punched him twice before being shot in the chest.
“Cordel don’t be involved in trouble with people like that. He would spend most of his day at the wash bay and then he might lime and go home with mommy because the two of them live together. I wish if Cordel did run away after he get shoot. People who see what happened said a black car came first and then the motor bike,” she said.
Meanwhile, Shamane Peters, sister of Eon Headley, shared her grief. Peters told the Guyana Standard that her family was skeptical to break the news to her because she is pregnant. She said at the time of the incident, Eon was preparing to leave the shop when he was riddled with bullets. Peters said while a CCTV footage may be good for the investigation, people are fearful for their lives to come forward with one because of the victimization that may follow after the release.
“It is dangerous, People don’t want to get into trouble. As simple as it may seem, nobody want to die. Rain don’t fall at one man door. My brother wasn’t warrish. He was an allrounder,” she explained.
Police said no arrests have been made.
