GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Reyna Depeazer, who was struck by a bullet during a late-night confrontation in East Ruimveldt.
The suspect, Travel Daniels Hammer, an unemployed resident of Trench Road, East LaPenitence, was apprehended early Thursday morning by police on Mandela Avenue in the same vehicle allegedly used during the incident.
Depeazer, of East LaPenitence, had been hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital since the night of the shooting. She succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, one day after being struck in the neck by what police believe was a stray bullet.
Investigators said Reyna had been sitting on a parked motorcycle with a friend around 11:25 PM on Mango Lane when the suspect pulled up in a white Fielder wagon, exited the vehicle with a handgun, and approached another man on a motorcycle parked nearby.
A dispute reportedly broke out between the two men. During that exchange, Hammer is alleged to have fired a single shot, which struck Reyna in the neck. The suspect fled the scene immediately, while police ranks responded quickly to the sound of gunfire and transported Reyna to the hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.
Despite efforts to save her life, she died the following day. Hammer was arrested less than two hours later. Police said they searched him, the car, and his home, but no firearm was found.
He was taken into custody, swabbed for gunpowder residue, and is currently being held at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters as investigations continue. The vehicle has since been lodged as part of the evidence.
Reyna’s death has shaken the East LaPenitence community, where the teenager was known as friendly and full of promise. Her killing adds to the growing list of young victims caught in the crossfire of escalating gun violence in urban areas.
Police have not yet filed charges against the suspect, but investigations are ongoing. Authorities are also continuing efforts to locate the missing weapon used in the shooting.
