Man shot after robbers hit popular Gutters eatery

The incident occurred at Infusion Food and Pastry, a popular eatery three miles east of Old Harbour town.

Minutes before the stipulated eight o’clock curfew imposed under the Disaster Risk Management Act to curtail the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), two men armed with handguns entered the restaurant and held up the workers and customers there.

Shots were fired at one frightened employee who managed to flee the scene unhurt; while other workers hide anywhere they believe was safe. The gunmen then proceeded to rob the business of an undisclosed sum of cash and mobile phones before exiting the building firing wildly.

During their shooting spree a man from across another business establishment was shot in the hand by a stray bullet, the police confirmed. His condition is not considered serious.

The rear windshield and roof of a private car belonging to a police officer, who was off duty at the time, were also damaged by the shooters’ bullets.

The police said no one else was hurt while crime scene detectives have collected blood samples and bullet fragments for further analysis.

Since the declaration of state of emergencies (SOEs) and now the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable increase in robberies and break-ins in Old Harbour and its surrounding environs, with shops, bars, cash pot and Off the Track Betting (OTB) outlets and food establishments the main targets.