Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 12, 2020 News
– accomplice escapes following shootout
– Giftland boss complains of delay in gun licence
Police have detained a prime suspect in Monday night’s robbery at the GTT Booth located inside the Giftland Mall, but they are still hunting from an alleged accomplice who escaped during a shootout in D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, yesterday.
The robbery occurred around 9:30pm when the mall was full of customers conducting their business.
In custody are a 21-year-old man and his mother, who reside at Lot 1818 D’Urban Street, Wortmanville.
Police said that they were taken into custody after two live .22 rounds were found in their home.
Investigators have also taken “a number of other persons” in for questioning, said an official. “The pieces are starting to come together.”
“We have information that more than two persons were involved,” the official said.
A source said that police CCTV security cameras enabled investigators to track the suspects to D’Urban and Haley Streets, after they fled the scene of the robbery on a motorcycle.
A police official said that when the ranks arrived at D’Urban and Haley Streets, the 21-year-old that is now in custody and another man were standing together.
On seeing them, one of the men, who had a firearm, fled the scene.
Then chaos erupted when the team of police gave chase, unleashing a hail of gunfire behind the fleeing suspect.
The suspect ran through someone’s yard with the police in hot pursuit. While firing at the suspect, one of the bullets struck a parked motorcar leaving the owner in expense.
The owner of the vehicle, PYY 3515, explained that moments before the rain of bullets, he was heading to wash his car. But fortunately, he received a phone call and abandoned the task.
Then what he heard was rapid gunfire.
“I heard about like 18 to 20 shots one time. And it was more than one gun too. Seem like rifle and some other small gun ‘cause you hearing shots while the big gun firing off rapidly.”
According to the man, it was a team of about seven officers chasing one man. The gun fire had persons scattering for safety, and bullet holes could be seen on pieces of wood in the yard.
The police also managed to damage a piece of pipe on the ground; however, it is unclear whether any bullets hit the suspect.
From CCTV footage of the robbery seen by Kaieteur News, the men calmly walked into the Mall with their faces visible.
Seconds later, persons went scattering as one of the two suspects pulled out a gun and demanded that the cashier hand over the day’s sales. Within seconds, the men grabbed the cash and ran out of the mall.
No security was around at the time.
No security with guns
The owner of the Giftland Mall, Mr. Roy Beepat, in statement following the robbery lamented that the constant denial of his applications for gun licences played a big part in the security officers at the Mall not intervening to apprehend the suspects.
Beepat stated that this was the first robbery of this type since the Mall was opened four years ago.
According to him, “The Mall has 46 full-time security officers on its day shift. Security officers who were present were unable to respond to this due to our application for arming our Head and Deputy Head of Security has been denied by the authorities.”
Beepat stressed that their “recommendations for supernumerary accreditation has been stuck in the system for the past few years” and “despite efforts and repeated requests to be able to protect the Mall and patrons from armed attempts such as this, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”
However, despite this, Beepat posited that security systems will be doubled to ensure that patrons feel safe and secure when visiting the mall.
“The Mall prides itself on its attention to the security concerns, and deeply regrets this incident, which should have been avoided; efforts will be redoubled to ensure that we are maintaining the high standards which we have kept since the Mall has been opened.”
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