One resident is counting his lucky stars that he is alive, while two others - a father and son - remained hospitalised last evening following a shooting incident in South Oropouche on Tuesday.
“Thanks to God,” declared 58-year-old Reynold Buxo, as he recounted his close encounter with death.
Buxo just happened to be passing by, on his way home, when gunmen were shooting at Gary Jugoon, 38, and his son Romel, 19.
Initial police reports stated that around 8.25 pm, Jugoon, a father of four, and his son were standing in a shed in front of Jugoon’s home at Lezama Trace, St John’s Village, when one of the gunmen called out to Romel.
Romel and his father ran but the suspects went in pursuit, firing several shots at them. Both father and son collapsed a short distance away. Jugoon was shot in his chest while his son suffered injuries to his back and buttocks. Relatives took the injured men to the San Fernando General Hospital.
Police retrieved three spent 9 mm shells at the scene. When Guardian Media visited the area yesterday, none of their relatives were at home and residents were too afraid to speak on camera.
However, recalling his ordeal, Reynold Buxo, 58, said one of the suspects had fired at him too but missed. Buxo said he had just collected a parcel of meat at his friend’s home when he heard the gunshots. He saw several men running towards him.
“As I come out of the gate and stand up on the side of the road, the man pass on the side of me...pow (at) my face. Splinters fly all in my face. It is a good thing God is living. He saved me from that shot,” Buxo said.
Jugoon’s cousin, Anesh Ramrattan, who lived next door, was murdered in St Mary’s Village, South Oropouche, last month. Ramrattan was the fourth person from South Oropouche to be murdered in the past two months. Police believe the murders are linked to illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, another resident who requested anonymity, said residents are now living in fear. She said after Romel was shot he was begging for help, but residents were too scared to venture out of their homes.
“You know in these kinds of things you can’t help nobody. You try to help and you get kill yourself,” she said.
Residents called for frequent patrols in the area, but said they were not sure whether they could trust the police. “Sometimes, you don’t know who working with who or who is connected to who,” another resident said.
Up to last evening, no one was arrested in connection with the shooting incident.
