Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Plaisance bloodbath … Cops say slain man was a bandit
– one still critical
By Latoya Giles
Anthony Taylor, who was shot dead during Thursday night’s robbery at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, was one of the bandits who carried out the brazen attack at Chandrika Datt’s drugstore.
The police made this disclosure yesterday without stating who might have shot the 24-year-old man.
Taylor, of Sussex Street, who was only released from prison on May 3rd, was shot thrice in the region of his heart.
But relatives of Taylor are adamant that the young man was not involved in any criminality.
Troy Collymore being rushed into the emergency unit on Thursday night
A close relative of the dead man told this publication that Taylor’s name was being called in a robbery which happened a few months back.
However, the relative said that when that robbery took place Taylor was incarcerated at the Georgetown Prisons.
“I ain’t know how they saying he was robbing people…because he was in jail….we ain’t know if de jail use to loose he to go and do de crime” said the relative.
The relative further told this newspaper that Taylor was released from prison in May, and from that day the police started harassing him.
Meanwhile, doctors at the Georgetown Hospital were up to press time battling to the save the life of 35-year-old Troy Collymore, who was severely injured in the deadly melee.
Collymore is presently in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Hospital.
Hospital sources yesterday told Kaieteur News that Collymore, who was shot twice to the head, is not breathing on his own and he has been attached to a heart monitor.
“He is not breathing on his own……plus his heart rate is very low,” said a source.
Lloyd Harris known as Ken, who was grazed by a bullet, is a patient in the Male Surgical Ward.
Relatives of Harris would only say that Harris was “doing fine”. A large tube was inserted into Harris’ abdomen, which was helping to drain fluids.
And 48-year-old Noel Phillips, who is said to be an overseas-based Guyanese, is reportedly in a stable condition at the Woodlands Hospital.
Relatives of the man were not willing to disclose any information about the shooting or his connections to any of the injured men. This newspaper was told that Phillips had arrived in Guyana several hours before the shooting.
Kaieteur News was told that Phillips, Collymore and Datt were chatting in front of a drug store which is owned by Datt.
A source told this newspaper that Datt left the men to look after a customer, when he was confronted by an armed bandit.
Kaieteur News understands that Taylor and another accomplice who was also armed accosted Phillips and Collymore who were outside of the establishment. The bandit then relieved Datt of a quantity of jewellery valued at around $320,000 and eight laptop computers.
The men also managed to escape with $600,000 worth in jewellery and an undisclosed sum of cash from Phillips.
It is still unclear who shot Taylor, since according to police sources, all of the injured individuals are claiming that they were unarmed. Kaieteur News was told that Datt managed to escape the melee by ducking for cover.
Shots were fired indiscriminately by the bandits as they tried to make good escape.
A woman who was in proximity to the incident told this newspaper that she heard several gunshots which forced her to seek cover.
The woman said she didn’t see anything, but heard about 15 gunshots. Minutes later ranks from the anti crime unit rushed to the scene and transported the injured and the fatally wounded Taylor to the Georgetown hospital.
Divisional Commander Gavin Primo, who was at the scene on Thursday night did not specify much about the incident but disclosed that the injured Collymore was questioned about a murder which occurred on Middle Street a few years ago.
“We know that Troy Collymore called ‘Coolie’ is supposed to be critical…he was one of the persons suspected in the Juice Power killing.”
Police said that they recovered several .45 spent shells at the scene.
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