By Kristen Macklingam
The 16-year-old waitress who was shot to her thumb and throat during a failed robbery at a Chinese Restaurant remains in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Georgetown.
Reports are that the teen who was shot on Friday night is awaiting surgery to have a bullet that is still lodged in her throat removed.
Onika Luke, who hails from Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD) is a student of the St. John’s College and works part-time at the Chinese Restaurant where she was injured. INews understands that on the night of the incident a lone gunman visited the Better Hope restaurant under the pretext of being a customer. He ordered a half serving of vegetable fried rice and paid Luke for the meal.
However, when she proceeded to put the cash in the drawer, the perpetrator snatched her blouse and pulled her towards the grill work so that she was closely facing him.
He then demanded that she hand over the monies from the day’s sales that had been stored in the drawer at that point in time. INews was told that the teen failed to comply and the bandit immediately fired a shot and this blew her thumb off. The same bullet passed through her chin because of the position she had been tugged against the grillwork and lodged itself in her throat.
According to reports, although Luke cannot speak presently and has been unable to do so since she was shot; she has identified the assailant as a tall individual of African descent with a tattoo on his neck. Using a pen and paper she related to investigators that while she does not personally know her shooter she would recognise him anywhere since she has seen him on previous occasions.
The perpetrator had also threatened to kidnap her a few days prior to the shooting incident when she was walking along the ECD roadway. According to the young lady’s older brother, on the night of the shooting, he was at home asleep when the owner of the Chinese Restaurant turned up at his home informing his household of what had transpired.
His sister’s employer related that Luke had been shot while working in the restaurant and had been rushed to the hospital for emergency medical attention.
Since she has been hospitalised the police have been on the hunt to locate and arrest her shooter but to date they are yet to find him.
So sad. Hoe this young lady makes a full recovery. In the midst of this raising crime spree,Granger continues to pardon criminals. What is this man thinking?????
I call on the police to find the perpetrator and give young Onika justice. I pray that she has a speedy recovery.
We all need to learn from this incident. We have to take threats seriously and go file a report at the Police Station . This man was stalking her also. If this matter was reported the police would have had a head start. I wish this ambitous young woman a speedy recovery.
I just pray that they find this evil Person. These are the ones that needs the full arm of the law thrown at them.