GEORGETOWN, GUYANA (AP)
EIGHT PEOPLE WERE killed in a shootout on Sunday night between thieves and security guards at a gas station and a rampage through a suburban neighbourhood in the outskirts of Guyana's capital, police said.
Residents of the Agricola suburb of Georgetown said they took cover under beds and fled to the interior rooms of houses as stray bullets flew, hitting passing vehicles during the shootout. A dozen bystanders were wounded, police spokesman John Sauers said.
Three security guards were slain and a man in a passing vehicle died as the guards tried to prevent about 15 gunmen armed with automatic rifles from robbing the gas station, authorities said.
"Our men, responding to a robbery attempt at the gas station, drove right into a hail of bullets and died. It was mayhem," said Carl Morgan, spokesman for the MMC security company.
The assailants stole only about US$40 from the gas station, which they set on fire.
The gunmen also allegedly killed Georgetown city hall official Lavern Scott-Garaway during their rampage. Her husband, 40-year-old David Scott, said the gunmen demanded money and jewellery from his daughter and wife before they shot her at close range.
"They said they came for the money and my daughter told them we had no money but they shot my wife and burned the house anyway," said Scott. "I have no idea why this happened."
The gunmen also killed an elderly couple in another house, which was set on fire, police said. Their grandson, a businessman, was also killed.
"It is too early to say what the motive is for all this," Sauers said. No arrests have been made.
Violence in the South American country of 700,000 has largely tapered off since 2002 and 2003, years when the homicide rate more than tripled from its previous average of 50 killings a year.
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