Gunmen shoot nurse

Mar 07, 2009 News

– in suspected revenge attack

Gunmen shot a male nurse in the stomach at around 22:00 hrs last night in what is suspected to have been a revenge attack at a Sheriff Street internet café.

Bobby Hemraj, 22, of Crown Street, Queenstown, was reportedly shot by one of two men who visited the Plaza Computer Services internet café, where Hemraj, who is reportedly also a University of Guyana medical student, was holding down a part-time job.

Kaieteur News understands that the gunmen took nothing, leading relatives and the owner to speculate that the nurse was deliberately targeted because he was a key witness in a previous robbery at the same establishment.

He was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital and was undergoing surgery at press time.

Hospital sources listed his condition as critical.

Internet café owner Neil Lewis told Kaieteur News that he was informed that Hemraj was in the office, which is secured by a grill, when two men entered the building and asked to make a phone call. At the time, only Hemraj and a customer were in the office.

One of the men then allegedly drew a handgun and shot the nurse in the stomach at close range.

The gunman and his accomplice reportedly then fled on a motorcycle.

The wounded nurse, who is employed at the GPHC, was then rushed to the hospital and was then taken to the operating theatre.

Lewis disclosed that Hemraj has been employed at the internet café for two and a half years.

He confirmed that two bandits had robbed the premises about a year ago.

He said that Hemraj subsequently identified one of the suspects and has been testifying in court against the accused.

“We kind of feel that this (attack) was revenge,” Lewis said.

Some of the victim’s relatives, who were at the hospital alleged that Hemraj had received threats from one of the persons who was connected with the case.