Gunshots ring out during Vigilance unrest

(Kaieteur News) – Gunshots rang out in the Vigilance-Buxton area on Tuesday shortly before a sand truck was set on fire, even as police intensified investigations into the unrest that erupted on Tuesday.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF), in a statement issued hours after the incident, said it received information that several loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots, were heard in the area shortly before the truck was found burning. Police said the sand truck, which was along the Railway Embankment at Buxton, was found with extensive fire damage to its front cabin. The blaze was subsequently extinguished by the Guyana Fire Service.

However, police said CCTV cameras have been identified in the surrounding area and footage will be reviewed as investigators seek to identify persons involved in the incidents. The development came amid a tense afternoon in Vigilance, where police and firefighters faced resistance from persons who had blocked access points with burning tyres, wood and other debris.