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NY-based ex-cop, 77, fatally shot for chain
The premises where Benjamin Nurse met his demise
– bandits seen riding away on bicycle
By Latoya Giles
A 77-year-old ex-policeman was shot dead at his one of his properties yesterday by two bandits who made off with his gold chain. The incident occurred shortly after 11:00hrs at Freeman Street, East La Penitence.
Benjamin Nurse, a New York-based Guyanese who had only returned to his homeland about two weeks ago, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest while attempting to ward off his attackers.
Reports are that Nurse was in his yard along with two workers who were refurbishing his home, when the gunmen struck.
This newspaper was told that Benjamin was renovating the East La Penitence property for rental. Benjamin owns another property at Sixth Street Diamond Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, where he would stay whenever he is in Guyana.
One of the workers told Kaieteur News that Nurse was watching over the work that was being done when two individuals walked in.
He said that the two men who were well dressed demanded that Benjamin hand over his gold chain.
“They come in the yard and seh give me that gold chain…everything happened so fast.”
Kaieteur News was told that a scuffle ensued between the bandits and elderly man. The employee said he heard a shot and saw Nurse collapse.
The two bandits quickly sprinted from the yard and made their way through a nearby alleyway. Nurse was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where was pronounced dead.
At the hospital his sister, Esther Elder, said that her brother’s tenant had informed her that her brother had been shot.
According to Ms. Elder, she immediately went to her sibling’s East La Penitence property where she saw a pool of blood. She said a police rank who was in the yard, informed her that Benjamin had been taken to the GPHC.
At the hospital, the woman said she made several inquires about her brother’s condition, without success.
Eventually, one of the nurses advised that she should speak to the doctor who would have all the information she needed.
Elder said that about ten minutes later she was able to speak with the doctor who revealed that her brother had succumbed to a single gunshot, to the heart.
Elder then contacted her relatives abroad.
According to the sister, Benjamin’s wife was in a state of disbelief when she received the news.
“All she kept saying was if I’m sure it was her Benjamin….she was crying.”
Elder said that her brother was scheduled to leave the country on Sunday. She informed that he had lived in the United States for over 30 years.
According to the woman, Mr. Nurse had started coming back to Guyana periodically to maintain his two houses. She said he was recently ordained as a Bishop in the United States.
The woman said she cannot comprehend why someone would want to kill her brother “for a gold chain”.
Meanwhile, when this newspaper visited the scene yesterday, one neighbour remembered seeing two young men speedily ride past her home shortly after Nurse
was shot.
According to the woman she heard a shot, but thought that police ranks, who make periodic raids in the neighbourhood, were chasing someone.
“After I heard the shot I checked to see if my grandson was coming home from school, because it was around the same time he would come home” the woman explained.
According to the neighbour, she saw two men on a bicycle ride past her.
“I see de two boys on de bicycle riding fast but really didn’t take it for nothing….one had on a red jersey and the other had on a shirt, they looked pretty young.” Up to press time yesterday the police had not arrested anyone in connection with the robbery/murder.
Earlier this year New York-based Guyanese Roopnatine Ramodit, after living aboard for a number of years, was killed after gunmen attacked his Clifton, Corentyne, Berbice home.
Ramodit had returned to Guyana with his wife Loopwattie for a one-week stay.
Ramodit lived in Minnesota and retuned on January 19th to his hometown only to be killed hours after arriving. The armed men shot him to his left hip and fled the scene with a gold chain.
He died while being transported to the Port Mourant Hospital.
Last year, Canada-based Guyanese Rawle Harding was shot and killed while he was at a popular night spot in the city.
Two persons were charged in connection with that murder, but the case against one accused was dismissed.
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