Two men were shot and injured on Thursday evening after two masked gunmen opened fire during an apparent robbery attempt outside Easy Corner Bar and Boutique at Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice.
The injured men have been identified as Gordon Gomes and another man known as Troy. Both sustained gunshot wounds to their legs during the incident at the business, located at 47 Stanleytown.
Speaking with reporters in an interview, Michelle Alexander who operates business stated that around 18:07 hours on Thursday, Gomes, Troy and another man, identified as “Orin,” were at the establishment shortly before the shooting.
Alexander said a taxi had been called and she went outside, where she sat on a bridge with the men. It was then that she noticed two men approaching on foot.
She said the men were masked and appeared to target one of the group who was wearing jewellery.
“When they come and they reach here, I see them tackle the one man with the jewels,” Alexander recalled.
She said one of the attackers fired a shot, but she initially thought the weapon might have been fake.
“When they fired the one shot, I think it was a plastic gun, but when the other one fired the other shot and started shooting, I run,” she said.
Alexander described a brief struggle between the men and the attackers before she also ran for safety as more shots were fired.
Gomes was shot in the instep, while Troy sustained a gunshot injury to his leg. Alexander also recalled that one of the men suffered a minor injury to his forehead during the struggle.
The attackers reportedly fled the area on foot as people began emerging and moving towards the scene.
Despite the attempted robbery, the gunmen reportedly escaped empty-handed.
“They didn’t get nothing from none of them
because the guy get all he things,” Alexander said, explaining that a struggle had apparently prevented the attackers from taking the intended victim’s belongings.
Gomes and Troy were subsequently taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where they were admitted for treatment.
The owner of Easy Corner Bar and
Boutique is currently overseas.
Police are continuing their investigations into the shooting and the attempted robbery.
