A West Demerara man was killed by unknown gunmen who blasted seven bullets into his back on Wednesday night just after he parked his car in his yard.

It is not clear whether Vishnu Santiee, age 30, of Tamarind Dam, Stewartville, West Coast Demerara was killed during a robbery attempt because his money and gold jewellery were intact.

Relatives said there was evidence of him being embroiled in a scuffle with his attackers and during this period he might have been shot. He collapsed on the steps and his gold chain which appeared to have been forcibly taken off was found under the steps. The young man died in the arms of his father, Frank Santiee a few steps away from his back door. He was rushed to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police have recovered a quantity of spent shells at the scene and have begun investigations. Up to press time, no one had been arrested, though investigating ranks scoured the scene yesterday with sniffer dogs. When Stabroek News visited Stewartville yesterday relatives were distraught. They said Vishnu had no enemy and the manner of his death was troubling.

"How can people get so cruel? What did he do to them?" brother Krishna Santiee asked. Frank Santiee who is also a dentist said his son used to work with him as a dental technician. According to the elder Santiee, on Wednesday night around 10, he, his wife, Iris and their niece, Vanessa were in the upper flatof their two-storey house watching television. The man said Vishnu was visiting his girlfriend who resides at Uitvlugt.

Frank told this newspaper that shortly after 10 pm he began feeling sleepy and took a break from the television and went to bed. Frank said he heard the beat of his son's car engine and immediately he urged Vanessa to open the back door for him. When Vishnu arrived he opened their gate and drove into the yard and parked his car. He then checked the car's alarm system ensuring that it was activated, closed the front gate and was heading upstairs when he was confronted.

Stabroek News was told that the gunmen ordered Vishnu up the steps, but he resisted and a scuffle ensued. The gunmen then brandished their weapons and Vishnu took off running upstairs. He was brought down with a shot to his leg, but clinging on to the rail of the steps and calling out to his father, the young man desperately tried to make it into the house. "Oh Daddy! Oh Daddy! dem ah go shoot me, bandits ah go shoot me," Frank quoted his son as saying. Frank said when he heard the screams he sprang up from his bed and rushed outside to rescue him, but by the time he arrived the gunmen blasted around six more bullets into Vishnu's back, scaled a side fence and escaped.

From all appearances the men broke down a neighbour's zinc fence on their way out of the area.

Picking up the account Krishna who lives in Essequibo said he received a call around 10 am from Vanessa informing him that his brother had been shot. Krishna said at the time of the call he could have heard the sounds of gunfire.

He told this newspaper that he immediately ran to Anna Regina Police Station and informed ranks there and also urged them to make contact with their colleagues at Leonora. It is not clear whether this was done, although Frank said they made contact with Leonora station and ranks responded promptly. He said the policemen cordoned off a large section around their house covering the yards of several persons and conducted a thorough check.

Stabroek News was told that the dogs yesterday led ranks to a location where men were usually seen smoking marijuana. Asked about his son's conduct, Frank said he had no trouble with anyone. He believed that the gunmen's intention was to rob, but they shot Vishnu after he resisted them. "I have my business for over 40 years now and nothing like this ever happened," Frank said. He described his son as a quiet hard-working person who was dedicated to the family dental clinic.

For the year so far there have been over 40 murders most of which the police have been unable to solve.