Schoolgirl, 6, critical; nursing suspected gunshot wound

Investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding an incident which has left a six-year-old schoolgirl hospitalised nursing a suspected gunshot wound. Her parents and Police are baffled about how she was shot.

Police Headquarters said the incident occurred sometime between 22:30hrs Saturday and 05:30hrs Sunday while the child was asleep at her Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara home.

The child lives with her parents and sister.

According to a Police report, investigations revealed that the child’s mother put her to bed on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, Police said the mother related that she woke up to use the washroom when she heard the victim groaning.

As such, she immediately went and checked on her when she discovered the child’s head and clothing were drenched in a reddish substance suspected to be blood.

The mother immediately alerted her husband and the child was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

There she was examined and a CT scan was conducted after which the child was scheduled to undergo surgery.

Police said a team from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) visited the scene on Sunday morning.

Upon inspection, the Police said detectives observed that a suspected gunshot entry was seen in the zinc, which appeared to have been projected inwards in the vicinity of the victim’s bed.

Reddish stains, suspected to be blood, was also on the bed.

As the probe continues, Police noted that the hands of the child’s parents were swabbed for gunpowder residue.

No spent shell was seen in or around the house.

Police said several persons were questioned and they did not recall hearing any sound of gunshot.