Family fearful after Fyrish shooting victim released from hospital

Mar 20, 2014 News

Annette Samaroo the 45-year-old mother of six, of Lot 10 Nursery School Street, Fyrish Village, Corentyne, who was shot and injured when two gunmen barged into her modest Fyrish Village home has been released from the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Wanted: Deodat ‘Popcorn’ Seecharran

The men shot her sister dead during the invasion.
The woman had spent over one week in the medical institution where she underwent emergency surgery.
The woman’s sister Patricia Samaroo, 64, a mother of four of Lot 101 Bristol Street, Number Two Village, East Canje Berbice was shot dead at point blank range in her head around 22:30 on Friday March 7. Her cause of death was given as shock and hemorrhage due to gunshot injuries.
Two men had barged into the house and opened fire, shooting the elder Samaroo who was visiting her sister with one of her son’s. Annetta who recognized the gunman, called him by name saying, “Pop Corn; what you doing and the man spun around and shot her in the abdomen. He had intended to shoot her again, but the gun malfunctioned forcing him and his accomplice to flee. One of the woman’s sons who was among eight persons at home at the time watching at a religious movie, tackled the gun man.
However he managed to escape with his colleague in a waiting car PP6437, which was parked in the street and reportedly driven by former policeman Antonio Singh Balroop. The police had recovered two live rounds and two spent shells from the house.
The alleged gunman Deodat “Pop Corn” Seecharran is known to the family. He is wanted for another murder that occurred in the Hampshire area last year. He has also been involved in a number of misdemeanors.
The woman was expected to be a key witness in the trial for her husband’s murder. A number of persons are charged and are before the court. One assailant Adbussulum Azimulla, called “Sato”, 29, of Lot 183 Hampshire Corentyne Berbice was arrested eight years after the crime. He is awaiting his day in the high court.
When he was arrested he was a part of the “Pop Corn” gang that had committed a robbery in 2012.
Meanwhile the families of the dead woman and her sister have expressed fear as the main suspect in the murder is still on the run.
The injured woman had stated from her hospital bed that she was shot by ‘Pop Corn’ whom she recognized, but cannot say why she was shot. She also stated that she had been threatened by two individuals late last year. One was the same “Popcorn” and another was known as “Kuntoo”.

Shot: Annette Samaroo

The injured woman’s son had stated that he can positively identify the getaway car used in the murder and the men who were in their house. He described the car as the same one that was held by the police -as a white Toyota Allion, bearing registration number PPP 6437.
The car was rented from one Suresh of Canje by ex-policeman Antonio Singh Balroop, 26 of Lot 15 West Reliance, East Canje, who has since been charged with the capital offence along with Solomon Milton, 23, also called “Devon”, of Lot 20, Nigg Settlement, Corentyne.
The men were charged with murder committed on Patricia Samaroo 64 on Friday 7th March at Fyrish, Village Corentyne Berbice. They are being represented by attorney at law Mursalene Bacchus.
They were not required to plead. The matter has been transferred to the Albion Magistrate court.
One of the accused, the former policeman Balroop graduated in 2009 from the Felix Austin Police College. He was a serving member of the force when he was caught with 17 grams of marijuana at the home of a remand prisoner back on Friday December 3, 2010. He was found guilty on that matter and jailed for three years. His attorney Mursalene Bacchus had subsequently filed an appeal in the high court and he was granted bail. He is still on bail and has now been charged with this offence.
Singh’s National ID Card along with other articles belonging to him was found inside the bag which he had subsequently admitted belonged to him.