Paramaribo shopkeeper detained after shooting customer over change dispute

A dispute over change at a supermarket on Martin Luther Kingweg in Paramaribo escalated into a shooting on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The conflict involved a 60-year-old shopkeeper, L. Y., and a 24-year-old frequent customer, M. S.

M. S., who regularly purchased goods on credit, requested change for a purchase of two sodas. L. Y. refused, attempting to apply the amount to the customer's outstanding debt instead. The argument turned physical when M. S. allegedly damaged the cash register and threw a trash bin at the shopkeeper.

As M. S. and a friend fled the store, L. Y. pursued them and fired a shot, striking M. S. in the knee. The victim was transported by ambulance to the emergency department of the Academic Hospital Paramaribo.

Police from the Livorno station seized the firearm, two cartridges, and a shell casing. Authorities confirmed that L. Y. does not possess a weapon permit. Following consultation with the Public Prosecutor's Office, the shopkeeper has been taken into custody.