In what police believe was the consequence of a drug deal gone bad, 48-year-old Shazard “Roti Man” Mohammed was executed on his bed less than a month after moving into his new home.
His roommate, Rennie Lall, 31, remained warded in a serious condition at the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday, awaiting surgery to remove bullets lodged in his head and shoulder.
Reports stated that around 1.30 am yesterday, Brasso police responded to reports of a shooting at Nariva Road, Tabaquite, and found Mohammed lying face down on his bed with a gunshot wound to his head.
Lall was already on his way to the San Fernando General Hospital, after he was rescued by his neighbour Okeeff Ahyew, who was returning home from work at the time of the shootings.
Speaking at his home yesterday, Ahyew said Mohammed, who previously lived along the Uriah Butler Highway, Charlieville, Chaguanas, moved into the community last month and was renting the house.
While at work on Tuesday, he said Mohammed phoned him, asking him to visit him so they could make plans to get tyres for his (Mohammed) car. He said he got home late but when he went to check on Mohammed he realised something was wrong and went to his own home and got his son.
He said his son eventually fished out the keys to Mohammed’s house using a bent piece of PVC pipe, after seeing it through the burglar proofing. When they got inside they realised Mohammed was dead and realising Lall could die, they took him to the hospital.
Residents said little was known about Mohammed, but they suspected he had a violent past, given the many old chop wounds that had healed on his body.
They said he also boasted of being involved with some men in Venezuela. Investigators said the house was ransacked and were also probing whether it was a robbery. There was also a theory that it could be a reprisal for a murder.
At her Alleyne Road home yesterday, Lall’s sister-in-law, Annie Villafana, said he lived next to them but because it was difficult to leave the area to get to work, he began staying with Mohammed.
His brother, John Villafana, said he believed the killer/s went in search of Mohammed and his brother’s shooting was just collateral damage.
Although Lall could not speak when he was warded, hospital officials he was stabilised and was conscious for a while.