Miner Held in Deadly Backdam Shooting as Guyana Battles Persistent Violent Crime

Police have arrested a 45-year-old gold miner from Company Road, Buxton, in connection with the fatal shooting of a man at Blackwater Backdam along the Cuyuni River, in yet another violent killing in Guyana’s interior mining district.

Dead is Moses “Bizo” Chapelle, whose age and address were not immediately available.

According to the Guyana Police Force, the fatal shooting occurred Thursday night at about 9:30 p.m. after Chapelle returned to Blackwater Landing with another man following a visit to a mining camp deeper in the backdam.

Investigators said the men were reportedly socialising near a shop when a loud explosion—believed to be a gunshot—rang out. Chapelle collapsed and was later seen bleeding from the back.

With assistance from persons at the landing, he was rushed to the Puruni Health Centre, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 1:30 a.m. Friday.

A police examination of the body revealed what investigators described as a small circular wound to the lower left side of his back, consistent with a gunshot injury.

Crime scene investigators later revisited the area and recovered suspected blood samples for forensic testing as the probe continues.

The arrest comes against the backdrop of Guyana’s persistently high murder rate. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Guyana recorded an intentional homicide rate of approximately 19 murders per 100,000 people in 2024, placing it among the higher-ranking countries in the Caribbean and Latin America for lethal violence. The World Bank, which compiles UNODC data, shows Guyana’s homicide levels remain significantly above the global average.

The mining sector has long been flagged as a hotspot for violent crime, driven by disputes, firearms, and weak law enforcement presence in remote hinterland locations.

Police say the suspect remains in custody as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding Chapelle’s killing.