Opposition leader held after shooting at police chief's Georgetown home

Three men are in police custody following a shooting incident at the Kitty home of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, head of the Guyana Police Force's Special Branch, on the night of October 12.

The 39-year-old Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, along with Mario Mohamed, 25, and Eugene Thorne, 35, were detained after the incident on Barr Street in Georgetown. Police say a black Toyota Allion circled Narine's residence shortly before midnight. Narine reported becoming suspicious of the vehicle's movements and later hearing what he believed to be a gunshot. He took cover and discharged several rounds from his service-issued Glock pistol as the car sped away, then pursued and stopped it at the junction of Vlissengen Road and Sandy Babb Street.

All three detainees denied involvement when questioned by investigators.

Police recovered a black Taurus.32 pistol with no serial number from beneath the accelerator pedal, along with a magazine holding three live.32 rounds. A single spent.32 shell casing was found on Barr Street opposite the residence, and four spent 9mm casings were located in Narine's yard. The vehicle bore three bullet holes: one in the driver's door, one in the right passenger door, and one in the roof above the driver's side.

Azruddin Mohamed offered a contrasting account of events. He stated that the three men were documenting what they perceived as a substantial police presence near the residence and investigating potential misuse of government resources. On their second pass around the block, Mohamed claimed gunfire struck their vehicle, prompting them to flee. He estimated five to seven shots were fired, with three hitting the car.

Mohamed rejected any connection to the firearm discovered in the vehicle and suggested the weapon may have been planted. Police have secured the recovered gun, ammunition and casings for ballistic testing and plan to examine CCTV recordings from the area. No charges have been filed.