Shootout in St Helena —

A ST HELENA proprietor escaped death after being shot at by three gunmen at his St Helena grocery and guesthouse on Wednesday night. According to reports, at about 11 pm on Wednesday, Benny Bridgelal was at his business place, when he heard a noise in the grocery.

On investigating the noise, he was confronted by three armed bandits. The men opened fire on Bridgelal who drew his licenced firearm and returned fire, causing the criminals to flee. An identified man who police described as a vagrant and who was asleep on the pavement in front of the grocery, was struck by a stray bullet.

The man was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope where he was treated and warded in stable condition. Officers of the Caroni Police Station visited the scene and interviewed Bridgelal.

Spent shells were recovered from the scene and a futile search for the bandits was carried out by the police.

Yesterday, Bridgelal opened his grocery for business but told Newsday he remained “shaken” over the incident.

He said his main concern was the safety of those using his guesthouse and was happy none of his customers was injured in the crossfire.

Bridgelal said he believed the gunmen intended to rob him and now that he escaped that attempt, he will be strengthening his security system.

Police investigators told Newsday they have not ruled out that Bridgelal may have been the target of a kidnapping. Investigations are continuing.