Alleged gun thief shot dead; four arrested

A mechanic’s allege decision to steal a gun from a safe he was granted access to, backfired when he reportedly accidentally shot himself dead on Wednesday evening. Dead is 46 year old Joseph Mahadeo of Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo. Four persons have since been arrested and are assisting with the investigations.

BIG Smith Crime Watch was informed that on Wednesday, Mahadeo was in the vicinity of Goat Creek, Essequibo River when the incident occurred.

We were told that at approximately 17:hrs Mahadeo along with businessman Chandra Boodho who is also a driver of a mining company Mahadeo works with as well as a man named James who is said to be a painter were traveling in a tractor when it developed mechanical problems some four miles away from the camp.

A decision was made to send Mahadeo back to the camp to collect a hose from the General Manager of the camp who is a licensed firearm holder. The general manager provided Mahadeo with the keys to a safe which also housed the firearm.

Mahadeo reportedly took the hose as well as the firearm, the latter unknowingly to the General Manager before leaving the keys on a table and headed back to meet the tractor and the other two individuals.

Boodho told police detective that he saw Mahadeo returned with the hose and a long shot gun. It is unclear if Boodho questioned the man about the acquisition of the firearm.

However after the tractor was fixed the three continued along their journey and some distance along the way, they heard a loud explosion.

It turned out that Mahadeo who was sitting in the tractor had the butt of the gun resting on the floor of the tractor while the nozzle was pointed upwards and to the direction of his chest, according to what detectives were told.

After the explosion a closer look revealed that Mahadeo who had the gun between his feet was bleeding from an injury to his left side chest and slouching.

The police were immediately contacted and on their arrival they found the 46 year old motionless in the tractor on the two pales which he was sitting on.

Checks revealed that he had three live 12 Gauge Cartridges in his pants pocket while the firearm was seen laying on the trial. There was also a spent shell for the type of weapon that the man took from the safe.

His body is presently at the Lenora Cottage Hospital awaiting a postmortem.