Gun-wielding' youth targets library users

A YOUTH pointed a 'gun' and pretended to shoot readers in the Guille-Alles Library. A pensioner was among those 'shot at' during the incident in the library's reading room last Thursday afternoon.

The 74-year-old woman was so shocked that she did not immediately report the incident to library staff.

Police are investigating and the library reassured people it was safe to use.

The woman's son said yesterday that a group of three or four youngsters were involved.

Apparently wearing caps and hooded tops, they entered the reading room at about 3pm. One of them shouted at the woman and asked if she was all right. She replied that she was not deaf.

Another one of the group then started dancing to music, possibly from a mobile phone.

'One of them pulled out a gun 'thought to be an imitation' and pointed it at his mate and pretended to fire it. He then aimed it at an elderly man, who had his back to them, and then walked around to where mum was sitting,' said the woman's son, who asked not to be named.

'She just froze - she got up and left her shopping and made her way downstairs. She went back for her shopping and her heart was pounding. She has recently been widowed and the shock of that sort of thing could kill someone.

'I would like to wring their necks,' said the son.

'I don't want this to be swept under the carpet - it has shocked me and the public should know what happened in a Town library used by the young and old. She quite likes to go to the library to keep her mind active and research family trees.

'It's not the Guernsey I used to know - I grew up in the 70s and it was nothing like that. I don't know what their parents or grandparents would think and it makes me feel bitter. Whether it was a joke or not, it's a bit out of order.'

Police confirmed yesterday that they were aware of the incident, although no official complaint had been made. An officer has spoken to the OAP.

'We would say this is unusual rather than alarming,' said Inspector Jean-Pierre Le Breton.

He said that police were not treating the case as a firearms incident, although they are seeking information.

One of the group is described as about 18 years old, with short brown hair, about 5ft 5in. tall and wearing light clothing.

Chief librarian Maggie Falla yesterday reassured people that the Guille-Alles was safe.

She said that an incident was reported a few days after it took place.

'We were not able to take action straightaway because we did not know until several days later that it had happened,' she said.

'We were extremely concerned that somebody appeared to be wielding a gun.

'This type of incident is unheard of. There are silly teenagers running around from time to time in the school holidays, but not threatening anybody with a weapon.'

Miss Falla said she had contacted the police.

'We are doing what we can, but I would imagine that identifying them would be difficult.

'We want everybody to be safe in the library - it's a safe place. Our rules state that if anybody acts in any way deemed to be inappropriate, we ask them to leave.'

The woman had no complaints about the actions of library staff and has been back.

Staff believe there may have been several people in the reading room at the time and Miss Falla urged anybody who saw or heard anything to contact library staff or the police.