When three gunmen stormed a bar in Princes Town and shot a patron, the owner fired back with his licensed firearm, fatally wounding one of the robbers. The dead man was identified as Shaka James, 31, of Greenhill, Toradale. Police said James’ accomplices bundled him into a getaway car and dropped him off at his home where his relatives called the ambulance.
However, James was pronounced dead on arrival at the San Fernando General Hospital. It was around 9.15 pm on Friday when the three robbers stormed into Rainbow Recreation Club, Garth Road. There was a large crowd liming outside and some patrons were gambling inside the bar where there is a roulette game and seven slot machines. When T&T Guardian visited the bar yesterday, owner Ramdeep Ramsahai, 69, was too traumatised to speak.
However, his son Ryan, 28, said the robbers shot a patron who was liming outside the bar on his leg and then dragged him inside the bar. Ryan said the other patrons were ordered to lie on the floor and robbed of their phones and money. One patron was robbed of $7,000. Ryan said it was the first time since the bar’s 27 years in existence that they had been robbed. “But I expected this. I get a message since before Christmas that this was coming.”
He said he, his mother Dora, 59, and brother Khemraj, 23, were in the bar when they heard the shots fired by the robbers. He said his mother shouted “bandit” and switched off the electrical breaker. “When the electricity gone, she ran down the steps and notified my dad who was home and my dad got his firearm.” Ryan said his dad then went to another door where he had full view of the front door of the businessplace.
Ryan then ran to the kitchen area near the bar. “I pull the curtain and the bandit (who was subsequently shot) see me. I did that to draw his attention.” Ryan said he then turned the electricity back on and the robber ran out the front door. He said that was when his father fired at the robber who returned fire. Ryan said when the robber was shot, he fell to the ground, whilst one of the other robbers ran down the road, came back with a Silva Tiida car and the other robber helped his injured accomplice into the car. The car sped off.
Ryan advised anyone with a business to be prepared and put precautionary measures in place in the event of a robbery. “Once you have a business you have to face it. You have to be prepared,” said Ryan, who praised the police for their prompt response. The injured patron received treatment at the hospital.