Linden robbery suspect shot dead during Police confrontation; firearm, ammo & cocaine found

A 26-year-old man, suspected of multiple armed robberies, was fatally shot during a late-night exchange of gunfire with Police ranks in Linden on Monday.

Dead is Shamar Prince, an unemployed resident of Wall Street, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, who was wanted in connection with a robbery under arms committed earlier on Monday on Long Xing, a 38-year-old Chinese businessman from Mackenzie Linden, as well as other robberies targeting Chinese businesses.

Police said that at about 23:45 hrs, acting on information received, mobile patrol ranks went to Prince’s residence — a lower-flat apartment of a two-storey concrete house in a partly fenced yard. Prince lived there with his girlfriend, 22-year-old Whitney Brazilio, a cook.

According to Police, when the ranks called at the apartment, Brazilio opened the western door and spoke with them. Prince, however, opened the back door on the north-western side and immediately discharged his firearm at one of the ranks, forcing the officer to take cover.

Prince then ran out of the apartment, continuing to fire at the ranks, who returned fire in his direction. He was struck and fell to the ground at the side of the yard.

Police said they found Prince lying on his back wearing a multi-coloured shirt and black denim pants. Next to him was a .38 revolver containing three live rounds and three spent shells, along with a box holding twenty-five additional .38 rounds.

He also had a black shoulder bag strapped around him containing his National ID card, a Blu cellphone, $1,040 in Guyana currency, a knife, and about five grams of a whitish rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine.

Ranks took Prince to the Linden Hospital Complex where he died while receiving treatment.

A post-mortem examination is to be conducted. Police reported five gunshot wounds on Prince’s body: one to the left side of his head, three to the upper left shoulder, and one on the right side of his chest.

All firearms, ammunition, spent shells and other items found at the scene have been sealed and lodged as evidence and will be sent for forensic examination.

Investigators say the operation was part of an ongoing probe into a series of armed robberies in Linden and surrounding areas targeting Chinese-owned businesses, where firearms were brandished and used.

Police investigations are continuing.