Attempted robbery at Lumber Company

STAFF MEMBERS were left traumatised after a mid-afternoon attempted armed robbery at the Barbados Lumber Company’s head office at Waterford, St Michael, yesterday.
Around 2:30 p.m., a man walked into the company’s sales office brandishing a gun and demanding cash but fled quickly afterwards in a waiting car. Staff and onlookers believe he got nothing from the shaken cashier.
“We don’t believe he got away with anything but we’ll go through our surveillance camera shortly,” said chief executive officer Trevor Ifill, who came on the scene afterwards.
He said at least three female staffers were shaken by the incident – the cashier, supervisor and a sales associate – and the company had called in counsellors.
Eyewitness Michael Hunte, who works in the sales department, said he was in the back of the room when the man entered. “He had his locks pulled over his eyes and a scarf over his mouth, and he told the cashier to put the money in a plastic bag,” Hunte said.
Customer David Beckles recalled that the man shouted and told those present not to move, before demanding cash and running back out.
Meanwhile, the chief executive officer said the man was not “acting alone”.
“There was a getaway car with two other people in it . . . we can only assume he ran away because of the number of people around,” Ifill said.
He added that the Lumber Company was fortunate that noone was injured and its security system worked relatively well.
Police are investigating. (RJ)