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Bandits ambush, kill miner in home invasion
– as children held hostage
Gavin McNeil
By: Romila Boodram and Leonard Gildarie
A miner, Gavin McNeil, was last evening shot dead after bandits held his young daughters hostage, forcing their way into his McDoom, East Bank Demerara home.
During the 15-minute ordeal, McNeil’s mother-in-law, June Elwin, was badly beaten by the masked bandits and his wife, Melissa McNeil, sustained an injury to her face. She was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
It is believed that six masked men, all believed to be teenagers escaped with more than $1M in cash and an undisclosed amount in jewelry.
According to information, the 38-year-old dredge owner had only returned from the interior last Saturday. He had his operations in Siparuni, Region Eight.
Last night at the family’s Lot 48 Middle Street, McDoom home, Elwin was in tears. She said that her family only moved there about eight months ago and they were warned about the area.
“About 05:00pm, me, Gavin and he two daughters left to go buy Chinese food. My daughter stay home because she has malaria. When we come back, the girls run in (back house) while Gavin was parking the vehicle and I was heading at the back,” a shaken Elwin recalled.
The woman added that from a distance she heard her granddaughters shouting and when she approached, she saw the men holding the two minors at gun and knife point. They threatened to kill them if the door was not opened.
“They tell me to open the door before they hurt the kids and their mother, who was inside, and I opened the grill because I had the keys and then they go in and start beating me and they chop me daughter,” the elderly woman recalled.
She added: “When they finish, they run out and is then they shoot Gavin and run away.”
At the scene last night, investigators were seen combing the area, searching for spent-shells.
The businessman was killed at the gate of the yard, near his Toyota Vigo SUV. It is believed that the bandits shot him while exiting the yard. Detectives later took away the vehicle after blood stains were found in the front seat.
Neighbours were tightlipped but Kaieteur News learnt that two shots were heard. McDoom is neighbouring to Agricola which is said to be home to some criminal elements.
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