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Two soldiers shot at Tacama
Two soldiers, including a Lieutenant, were air-dashed to Georgetown yesterday evening after being shot in what appears to be controversial circumstances at the army’s Tacama, Berbice base.
Vernon Harding
Sources identified the victims as Lieutenant Othina Hope, 23, and Private Vernon Harding, a 21-year-old recruit of Middle Road, La Penitence.
Kaieteur News understands that Harding was shot in the left hand and in the left side, while Hope was shot in the left leg. Private Henry was still undergoing surgery up to late last night, while his colleague was treated in the Accident and Emergency unit.
While a senior army official stated that the ranks were injured during a training exercise involving Ak-47 assault rifles, relatives of Private Harding say they have received reports that he was shot in a barrack-room by a Lieutenant, who was playing with a pistol. The incident reportedly occurred at around 16.00 hrs.
A senior army official told Kaieteur News that the two soldiers and other ranks were training with Ak-47 assault rifles and Lieutenant Hope and Private Harding were caught in the crossfire.
They were flown to Georgetown via helicopter before being taken by ambulance to the GPHC at around 20.00 hrs.
But Vanitta Harding, the recruit’s mother, said that she overheard ranks at the GPHC saying that another rank was cleaning a firearm and accidentally shot her son. But Ms. Harding alleged that the same ranks were reluctant to speak to her when she enquired about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“They say that they can’t tell me anything until tomorrow (today) because the matter is under investigation. I need the truth because my son is still in the operating theatre.”
Tasleema Harding, the wounded recruit’s wife, said that she got a call at around 20.00 hrs from an official at the GPHC, informing her that her spouse had been shot.
She then contacted her mother-in-law and relatives then went to the GPHC.
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