Kitty
killings:
Man
with
AK-47
mowed
down
Natoo's
bar
-
witness
Friday,
September
27,
2002
Wednesday
night's
massacre
at
Natoo's
Liquor
Store
in
Kitty
was
committed
by
a
single
gunman,
according
to
an
eyewitness
to
the
mayhem.
New magistrate to start treason inquiry
The
eyewitness,
who
preferred
anonymity,
told
Stabroek
News
yesterday
that
at
about
7:00
pm
on
Wednesday,
a
white
car
pulled
up
at
the
Pike
Street
drinking
parlour,
which
was
frequented
by
"top"
officials.
The
witness
said
the
passenger
got
out
and
entered
the
bar
with
an
AK-47
rifle.
Before
anyone
had
time
to
react,
the
gunman
opened
fire
"and
weeded
down
the
whole
place,
firing
indiscriminately
moving
the
gun
from
side
to
side
."
AK-47
rifle
According
to
the
witness,
everybody
hit
the
ground.
The
gunman
then
returned
to
the
car,
which
pulled
off
swiftly
with
screeching
tyres.
The
witness
said
at
no
point
did
the
driver
get
out
of
the
vehicle.
The
driver,
the
witness
said,
remained
at
the
wheel,
with
the
engine
running.
Stabroek
News
understands
that
Joy
Arjune,
a
former
employee
of
the
Guyana
Telephone
and
Telegraph
(GT&T)
Company
Ltd,
her
brother,
Lloyd
Singh
and
others
were
sitting
at
the
front
table
near
the
door.
The
witness
said
the
siblings
and
their
company
were
in
the
direct
line
of
fire.
DEAD
Neither
Arjune
nor
Singh
survived
the
tragedy.
Two
other
persons,
identified
as
motor
racer
Gavin
Naraine,
42,
and
Customs
Broker
Fazeer
Baksh,
20,
also
lost
their
lives.
A
number
of
persons,
including
Director
of
Public
Prosecutions,
Denis
Hanoman
Singh,
whom
other
sources
said,
seemed
to
have
been
the
target,
were
wounded.
Hanomansingh
was
with
a
group
at
the
bar,
directly
behind
Arjune's
table.
Both
the
Minister
of
Home
Affairs
and
the
Guyana
Bar
Association
yesterday
condemned
that
shooting,
as
well
as
another
that
occurred
about
five
minutes
prior
on
the
same
night,
in
which
19-year-old
Delroy
Gomes
was
murdered.
According
to
the
association,
"violence
in
the
society
has
long
reached
unprecedented
levels
and
threatens
the
very
existence
of
the
rule
of
law.
The
inability
of
the
country's
security
system
in
its
present
state
to
contain,
much
less
overcome
this
new
level
of
violence
is
a
matter
for
the
most
urgent
national
concern.
"We
are
consistent
in
our
belief
that
an
effective
response
to
this
situation
demands
a
national
consensus
on
the
creation
of
a
proper
and
efficient
security
system
operating
professionally
and
properly
trained
equipped
and
paid."
Further,
the
GBA
offered
its
support
in
the
participation
of
any
non-partisan
national
effort
to
review
the
security
environment,
which
would
include
the
taking
of
adequate
measures
to
deal
with
the
problem.
Meanwhile,
Home
Affairs
Minister
Ronald
Gajraj
in
a
strongly
worded
statement
in
parliament
yesterday
said
the
two
grave
and
grievous
incidents
which
occurred
on
Wednesday
evening
were
a
direct
consequence
of
the
February
23
prison
break
which
saw
five
dangerous
felons
being
let
loose
on
society.
According
to
the
minister,
"Wednesday's
incidents
were
particularly
callous,
daring
in
their
commitment
and
represent
utter
disregard
for
the
human
rights
and
lives
of
our
citizens
going
about
their
normal
business."
The
violence,
particularly
of
Wednesday,
he
noted,
like
all
the
incidents,
especially
those
during
the
present
crime-infested
period,
"have
stirred
feelings
of
anger
and
well-founded
cause
for
firmer
actions
by
the
appropriate
authorities
and
in
which
law-abiding
citizens
from
all
walks
of
life
show
a
willingness
to
assist."
According
to
Gajraj,
"this
is
undoubtedly
one
of
the
more
serious
incidents
experienced
since
February.
And
has
heightened
the
fear
and
anxiety
our
law
abiding
citizens,
particularly
in
certain
geographical
areas
and
communities
of
our
country."
