By Alethea Grant | HGP Nightly News |
KITTY, GEORGETOWN — Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed and two of his employees remain in police custody following a high-stakes shooting incident late Monday night outside the Barr Street, Kitty residence of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch.
The confrontation, which unfolded around 11:45 PM on Monday, October 12, 2026, has led to active investigations into allegations of discharge of a loaded firearm with intent and possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence.
The incident has produced two starkly conflicting narratives between the Special Branch commander and the constitutional Leader of the Opposition regarding who initiated gunfire, the purpose of the vehicle’s movement through the residential neighborhood, and the conduct of the subsequent interception.
The Police Account: Circling Vehicle, Gunfire, and Interception
According to preliminary investigative briefings released by the Guyana Police Force:
- Suspicious Reconnaissance Alleged: Senior Superintendent Narine reported observing a black Toyota Allion, bearing registration plate PXX 5300, driving slowly past his Barr Street residence shortly before midnight. Narine stated his suspicions were aroused when he saw the driver looking directly toward his property.
- Reported Gunshot and Return Fire: The vehicle allegedly circled the block and returned. Narine claimed that upon the vehicle’s second approach, he heard a loud explosion resembling a gunshot.
- Tactical Pursuit: The senior intelligence officer stated he took cover immediately before drawing his service-issued Glock pistol and discharging several rounds toward the car, which then sped away from the scene.
- Vehicle Interception: Narine pursued the fleeing car, successfully intercepting it nearby at the major junction of Vlissengen Road and Sandy Babb Street.
- Occupants Identified: Police confirmed the vehicle carried three men:
- Azruddin Mohamed, 39, seated in the rear passenger seat.
- Mario Mohamed, 25, seated in the front passenger seat.
- Eugene Thorne, 35, who was operating the motor vehicle.
- Firearm Discovery: Investigators reported discovering an unlicensed firearm and matching ammunition concealed beneath the vehicle’s accelerator pedal.
Opposition Leader Mohamed’s Defense: Documenting State Resources
Providing an entirely divergent version of the night’s events, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed denied firing any weapon or harboring intent to harm the Special Branch chief:
- Documenting State Deployment: Mohamed maintained that he and his two employees were driving along Barr Street solely to record what they perceived to be an unusually heavy police deployment outside Narine’s private residence, aiming to document what they considered a misuse of state security resources.
- Unprovoked Fire: Mohamed claimed that as their vehicle executed a second turn around the block to film, gunfire was suddenly unleashed against their vehicle without provocation or warning, forcing them to accelerate away in fear of their lives.
- The Sandy Babb Interception: Mohamed further alleged that upon reaching the junction of Sandy Babb Street and Vlissengen Road, a police pickup truck intercepted their path. He asserted that Narine exited the police vehicle with a firearm drawn, discharged additional rounds, and ordered all three men out of the car at gunpoint.
- Weapon “Planted” Allegation: The Opposition Leader rejected any connection to the weapon and ammunition allegedly recovered beneath the driver’s pedal, asserting that neither he nor his staff had firearms inside the vehicle and suggesting the weapon was planted by law enforcement ranks.
Forensic Testing, Ballistics, and Ballistic Analysis Underway
As the three men remain detained in police custody without bail up to press time, major forensic investigations have commenced to resolve the conflicting claims:
- Gunshot Residue (GSR) Swabbing: Forensic technicians have swabbed the hands and clothing of Azruddin Mohamed, Mario Mohamed, and Eugene Thorne to test for gunshot residue and determine whether anyone inside the car discharged a weapon.
- Ballistic Examination: The recovered handgun, live rounds, and spent shell casings recovered from both Barr Street and the Sandy Babb Street junction have been lodged with the police ballistic section for caliber comparison against Narine’s service Glock and the recovered weapon.
- CCTV Canvas: Detectives have begun retrieving private and public Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage along Barr Street, Kitty, and surrounding routes along Vlissengen Road to reconstruct the timeline, trace vehicle movements, and establish who initiated the discharge of firearms.
Police investigations remain active as the detention of the Opposition Leader continues to generate heightened political scrutiny across the capital.
