Gunshots and robbery spree abruptly ends HJ’s ‘Baderation’ Concert

May 29, 2022 News

– Top Cop summons promoters to meeting over security concerns

By Shervin Belgrave

Kaieteur News – It was chaos during the wee hours of Saturday at the National Park after gunshots, a “rain of bottles” and an alleged robbery spree abruptly ended the ‘Baderation’ Concert hosted by Hits and Jams (HJ) Entertainment.

The illegal gun that was found in a vendor’s possession (Photo Credit: Guyana Police Force)

Fans recording Skeng’s performance moments before the chaos started (Photo by Zena Henry)

The “Baderation” event featured Jamaican Dancehall artiste “Skeng”, whose real name is Kevaun Douglas, and was one in a series of shows organised by HJ Entertainment for the Independence week of celebrations to kick start the road to Cricket Carnival in September. The entertainment company also used the week of activities, which ends tonight, to launch its Genesis and Utopia Band for the September Carnival event.
The first two shows it hosted at the Marriott Beach Front and Parking Lot, “Touchdown” and “Stinging Nettles” featuring Trinidadian Soca artists, Partrice Roberts and Kes the Band, were major successes but “Baderation” raised some serious security concerns for the country and, as a result, the promoters were called in for a meeting with Guyana’s Acting Top, Clifton Hicken.
The show on Friday evening started off well and the massive crowd was clearly enjoying the performances. But things got out-of-hand when Skeng, the featured artist, stepped onto the stage.
Kaieteur News reporters were on stage too snapping some photographs of the crowd and the artist but it was when he was performing his fourth song called “Protocol” that things got out-of hand.
The crowd became hyper as Skeng began singing – “Protocol we have 100 strap (guns) Mally (molly – a laboratory-made drug said to produce a “high” similar to the stimulants called amphetamines) get pap whole place get hot rinse out everything outta de Glock (a 9MM pistol) hallow-point (bullet) dat a lodge up in a bwoy head back,” – that gunshots were fired into the air from among the hundreds of patrons.
At first the shots did not grasp much attention but when it started to rain bottles from the skies everyone realised that something was very wrong.
The crowd started to scatter in chaotic fashion. Some screamed in panic and others ran for cover. The DJs were forced to end the music abruptly and Skeng and his entourage had to leave the stage.
Later that morning, Facebook was flooded with videos of patrons armed with handguns, some shooting into the air. Videos also surfaced showing that there was also a robbery spree taking place amidst the chaos.
One man was seen attacking another who allegedly snatched a woman’s phone. As he pounded away on the suspect, the woman was heard saying, “Ah want meh phone, give me meh phone a want ma f……g phone.”
Another woman was recording a live video of herself singing to the lyrics of the song and dancing to the beat when her purse was snatched.
The live video recorded her running behind the purse snatcher and demanding that he return it.
Countless posts were made about victims being robbed. It was also alleged that bandits had also stormed into the Banks DIH drinks bar and stole all the money.
Police had to be called in and, according to a release from the force’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), ranks arrested “a vendor from East Ruimveldt, Georgetown with an illegal 9mm firearm with one suspected live 9mm bullet.”
The statement further detailed that as the man remains in police custody, investigators are presently reviewing CCTV cameras from nearby buildings and cell phone recorded videos circulating on various social media platforms to identify the gun-toting patrons.
CCU also related in its statement that the force is also appealing to the public to share information or videos with investigators to assist in identifying and arresting the “trigger happy” patrons who were in the “Baderation” crowd.
At the meeting the Acting Commissioner of Police held was one HJ Entertainment promoter Mr. Rawle Ferguson. Also present at the meeting, according to CCU, were Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Calvin Brutus and Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Ravindradat Budhram. The head of the force’s Special Branch, Errol Watts and Georgetown Police Commander, Simon McBean attended too.
The discussion, this publication learnt, was centred on how to prevent security breaches at future events.
Some of the recommendations made included the prohibition of glass bottles and that the promoters have improved security search at the gate by installing metal detectors and scanners at the gates.
There were also talks about heavier police presence in partnership with the private sector.