Man found dead in Lamaha Gardens home

Minutes after Lamaha Gardens residents heard what sounded like a gunshot, Orlando Harris was discovered dead with a sub-machine gun near his body.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud has since said that Harris’s death appears to be a case of suicide but investigations are still being carried out. Police, he said, yesterday afternoon, were yet to locate a “puncture wound” (where the bullet entered his body) but blood was oozing from the Harris’s nose and ears.

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Harris was the owner of El Sol, an import/export business located in Alberttown, Georgetown. The man lived alone at his Lot 173 Marudi Street, Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown home, where he was found some time before 10 yesterday morning.

When Stabroek News arrived at the scene shortly after 11.30am yesterday police had already secured it. Harris’s vehicle was parked in front of his house.

Persaud later told Stabroek News that the sub-machine gun was recovered from the scene. Persaud was unable to confirm whether Harris was a licensed firearm holder but explained that licences are not issued for sub-machine guns to civilians. Therefore, it was illegal for Harris to be in possession of the gun. It is unclear how Harris would have been able to access such a weapon.

Police, in a release issued last evening, identified the gun as an Uzi. These guns are lightweight automatic small-arms weapons chambered for relatively low-energy pistol cartridges and fired from the hip or shoulder. They hold 10 – 50 cartridges or occasionally have drums holding more rounds and can fire 650 or more rounds per minute.

Police further said that they also discovered 20 matching and one spent matching 9 mm rounds along with a bullet-proof vest and a knife in Harris’s home.

Shortly before Harris was discovered dead in his house, the Crime Chief further said, he was seen outside. He then entered the house and a few minutes later “an explosion” was heard but no one was seen leaving the premises.

“These things tend to suggest it was suicide to us but we are still investigating,” Persaud stressed.

On December 1, 2008 Harris appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson charged with unlawfully assaulting his then live-in girlfriend Elizabeth Barker so as to cause her actual bodily harm. It was alleged that on November 29, 2008 at Carmichael Street, Georgetown, Harris unlawfully assaulted Barker so as to cause her actual bodily harm and unlawfully assaulted her sister, Amanda Teixeira.

Barker had told the court that she had lived with Harris for five years and during that time the man had continuously abused her. According to the woman, she was never given any space and had been denied any form of communication. Her every move, she said, was monitored by Harris.

Both women arrived at Harris’s Lamaha Gardens home after 12 pm yesterday when news of his death reached them. However, they refused to comment when approached by this newspaper. Barker was in tears and was being consoled by her sister.

Residents, reluctant to identify themselves, said that Harris was a man who kept to himself. The man, according to them, had lived alone since his girlfriend left.

One resident said, “He would sort of slip in and out of it.”

This was reiterated by another person who added that he had been seeing Harris for almost three years and he had never once said a word even in greeting.

Meanwhile, a man who said he was Harris’s friend said he had last seen Harris on Sunday.

“He was just driving around the place real slow you know,” the friend said. “He hasn’t been too well for the longest while… he goes and comes but I would see him every now and then. When I saw him driving around yesterday [Sunday] I waved at him and he waved back.”

As far as they know, Harris’ friend reported, the man had no ongoing feud with anyone. Asked whether Harris showed signs of being depressed the friend said that he had not spent enough time with him lately and could not determine that.

Another woman also said she saw Harris “cruising” around in his vehicle. This was something he normally did, she said.

Some time yesterday morning, she couldn’t remember the time; the woman heard what sounded like a gunshot. A police officer was in a nearby yard, the woman recalled, and it was she who alerted fellow ranks. Further investigation led to the discovery of Harris’s body.

Despite several efforts Stabroek News could not reach Harris’s relatives. His Second Street, Alberttown business place was closed when this newspaper visited. Tenants staying in the upper flat of the building declined to comment when approached.