Police are investigating a murder that occurred around 01:00 hrs this morning (Tuesday) at Dazzel Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD) committed on Ashanti Liverpool, a 24-year-old security officer. The suspect has been identified as a 31-year-old of Haslington, ECD.
Guyana Standard understands that the suspect shared a common-law relationship with the deceased woman’s sister. Enquiries revealed that about 00:20 hrs this morning, the suspect went to the Hong Kong Chinese Supermarket located at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, where he met a 23-year-old security officer (his co-worker), who at the time was armed with one AR-15 Rifle and eight live rounds of ammunition.
The suspect told his colleague that the supervisor sent him to collect the rifle. The co-worker mentioned that he made several calls to his supervisor via cellphone, which went unanswered. The suspect then collected the firearm with ammunition and went away.
The suspect had earlier gone to the girlfriend’s home and saw her sitting inside a car parked in front of her house. As such, he left, went to Good Hope and returned about thirty minutes later armed with the AR-15 Rifle, where he entered the house and met Ashanti, who was at home in bed.
He asked about her sister’s whereabouts, who had left the house a short while before he (the suspect) arrived.
As a result, Ashanti ran outside, where she made her way out of the yard and started heading east along the access road when the suspect opened fire at her with the rifle.
Ashanti continued running and collapsed in a nearby yard. The suspect then went onto his motorcycle and left the scene.
The suspect proceeded to Hong Xing Supermarket at Industry Railway Embankment, ECD, where he met with another colleague, a 29-year-old Security Officer, who at the time was armed with one AR-15 Rifle with six live matching rounds of ammunition.
The suspect told his colleague that he needed his help in clearing the rifle which he had in his possession because one round was stuck in the firearm. The colleague collected the rifle from the suspect and attempted to clear it outside the Supermarket, leaving his firearm inside the Supermarket where the suspect was.
While doing this, the colleague heard a loud explosion from inside the Supermarket, and while checking, he noticed the suspect on the ground. He went to his aid, where he saw what appeared to be blood coming from the left side of his chest and the firearm beside him.
A patrol from the Sparendaam Police Station was summoned, and the suspect was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. On his arrival, he was admitted nursing a single gunshot wound to the chest. His condition is considered critical. He is presently under guard at the hospital.
Investigations continue.
