The owner of Integrated Security Service, Ghalee Khan is under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital following a failed attempted suicide after killing his estranged girlfriend – Marissa Beete – 30.
The incident occurred at Beete’s Recht-Door-Zee, West Bank Demerara between the hrs of 18:15 and 19:00 according to a statement issued by the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) of the Guyana Police Force.
According to the statement Beete and Khan’s two-year relationship ended over what the police described as a misunderstanding.
Beete’s mother Jennifer Vaughn told investigators that Khan – 47 had called her daughter at 18:15 hrs asking to have a discussion, against the mother’s wishes. Still, she nevertheless, agreed and opened the door inviting him into their home.
The woman said she went to another section of the home to give them privacy but sometime later she heard her daughter saying “Mommy”, which was followed by a loud explosion. Ms. Vaughn said she immediately rushed to the living room where she saw her daughter in a slouched-over position on the ground, with blood coming from her head and Khan standing over her with a gun.
Ms. Vaughn told investigators that she ran to Khan, holding on to him as another shot was fired in an unknown direction. She then related that Khan pushed her to the ground after which he turned the gun and himself once to the head.
Khan and Beete were taken to the West Demerara Hospital by public-spirited citizens, however, Marissa succumbed to her injuries while Khan was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. His condition is listed as serious.
A single bullet wound was observed above Marissa Beete’s right eye. A post-mortem examination is to be carried out on her remains to ascertain her exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, investigators recovered the firearm along with three live rounds of ammunition at the scene. Several items were also collected by investigators at the scene to be analysed by the forensic laboratory as the investigation is said to be continuing.
In a video shared on social media, Khan was seen bleeding from the head after the incident. The Police investigations are ongoing.
Khan while on bail fled to Guyana on a drug trafficking charge in 2008. He returned to the United States in 2020 where he was sentenced to six years fleeing the US and three years on the drug trafficking charge. He appealed the sentence which was vacated in June of 2023. September 2023 the judge handed down a new sentence of 18 months, however, Khan had already spent 42 months in prison. He agreed not to pursue a legal challenge against the state for the extra time spent in prison, following which he was deported.