By NALINEE SEELAL Saturday, August 4 2012

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SHOT: Qadir Rajcoomar, 13, has a bullet lodged in his spine after he was shot on Thursday....

THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Qadir Rajcoomar is yet to undergo surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his spine after he was shot in the lower back and right shoulder by a gunman near his home in Gonzales on Thursday afternoon.

His mother Karen De Castro told Newsday yesterday she spent all of Thursday night at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital awaiting word from doctors on the condition of her son. She is fearful of the possibility that her son may never walk again because the bullet is lodged in the spine.

She is praying doctors will be able to surgically remove the bullet. The angry woman said her son tried to walk on Thursday, but was unable to do so and she is hoping the neurosurgeon gives her good news after tests are carried out. She said her son was able to relive the moments leading up to being faced with death at the hands of the gunman who fired at him and two younger cousins on Thursday.

De Castro said her son told her he was sitting on steps while waiting for a plastic pool to be filled so he and his two cousins could bathe in it. She said her son told her the gunman walked up to where the children were and began firing at them, striking Qadir once in the lower back and a second bullet grazed him on the right shoulder. She added, it was divine intervention which saved the life of her son, but she believes justice should be served. “Could you imagine this man just firing at little children who did nothing to him. I don’t know if he was trying to send a message or what was his intention, but what I do know is that he needs to be brought to justice to prevent him from carrying out such a criminal act in the future.”

She added, the gunman is well known to everyone in Gonzales and neighbours are distressed over the incident and they, too, want the authorities to find the suspect.

“My family and others are still in disbelief over the incident, but one thing is for certain we know who shot Qadir and we want the authorities to do the right thing and bring the perpetrator to justice.”

She said since the shooting, children are staying indoors and families are in fear at how crime has reached in this country with innocent children being targeted.

Police officers probing the shooting told Newsday yesterday several searches were carried out for the suspect to no avail, but assured an arrest is imminent. Officers of the Belmont Police Station are continuing enquiries.