New York Police hunt gunman in Guyanese teen murder
From Vishnu Bisram
NEW YORK - Police in Hicksville, Nassau County, New York, yesterday issued a draft sketch of a male, Kevin Persaud, believed to be an Indo-Guyanese, wanted for questioning in the shooting of two Guyanese, one fatally and the other wounded in a leg on Sunday. The dead man was identified as Abzal Khan, 19, who graduated from Richmond Hill high school last year. He was shot several times in the torso while his friend Mohammed Pooram, also 19, lost a toe in the hail of gun fire. They lived together at a private house in Kew Gardens which adjoins North Richmond Hill. The shooting occurred in the compound of the Masonic Temple in Hicksville. The Masonic Temple hall, no relationship with any Hindu temple, was rented Sunday evening for a reception for newlyweds Savitree Jagananand (known as Jacqueline) and Andy Rajesh Jagnanand (known as Adrian), both of Richmond Hill, who were married the previous day according to Hindu Arya Samaj rites. The hall is frequently patronised by Guyanese for all kinds of receptions where "Guyanese rum shop type" fights and arguments are very common. Police say eyewitnesses told them that the alleged gunman, Kevin Persaud, walked out of a crowd of Guyanese in the street in front of the reception hall, pulled out a gun and opened fire as Abzal, Mohammed and a number of other wedding guests were walking out of the hall just about midnight. After pumping several bullets into Abzal, Persaud turned his gun on Pooram who had rushed to help his friend, shooting him several times. The gunman also pointed his gun at Abzal's brother, I.K Khan, who attempted to rush to assist his dying brother, forcing him to back pedal. A tearful I.K Khan, 24, was quoted in the Long Island Newsday newspaper saying: "I keep seeing him just lying there on the street with bullets flying into him. This is my little brother, the kid I got a job for. "Well dressed, you know, for the wedding occasion. The poor kid was bleeding his life away in front of me." The wedding was to have been a joyous occasion for the couple and their families. Instead it has turned out to be a nightmare. The couple invited more than 200 relatives and friends, many living in Guyana and who flew in specially for the wedding. Both families are in shock and are distraught over the incident unwilling to speak to reporters. They are upset that a lot of uninvited straddlers made their way into the reception and instead of enjoying themselves with the free food and drinks, created trouble for the hosts and guests. Police say that at the beginning of the reception, guests were having a terrific time, eating, drinking and dancing in the ballroom. Later, a lot of uninvited guests joined the fete. Detective Sgt. Daniel Severin of Nassau Homicide, told reporters "everyone was having a grand old time until the uninvited guests appeared". He said a verbal dispute started over someone dancing with a girl. This led to a brief fight when one of the guests punched Persaud who left the ballroom with a group of ruffian friends. Det. Severin said neither victim was involved in the fight. "They were innocent bystanders at the wrong place at the wrong time". Then guests began to leave just before midnight. I.K Khan is quoted as saying that Abzal insisted that they leave because "We have to go to work in the morning". The two brothers worked at a power boating company, assembling boats, in the Hamptons on Long Island. I.K Khan said: "When we walked out, there was a crowd in the street and the sidewalk. One guy walked out of the crowd and started shooting at Abzal and my sister's boyfriend. "The shooter took something away from my heart. I had a brother, a really good brother. There is nothing that can replace him". The elder Khan got his brother the job and they worked very hard, six days a week, leaving home at 5:30 in the morning. The owner of the power boat company where they worked is quoted in the Newsday newspaper as speaking very kindly of the victim. "When you see a guy smiling at 7:00 A.M, you know he is happy. This kid was a real pleasure to be around". Police are asking for information about the whereabouts of the gunman who eyewitnesses say jumped into the passenger side of a car and took off. 
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