The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are still searching for the person responsible for a shooting incident that left one man dead late Friday night.

The murder took place shortly after 11pm and was one of two killings that took place over the weekend, the other one was in Long Island. They pushed the year’s murder count to 92, according to The Tribune’s records.

Police said Friday’s victim was walking in the area of the Bahamas Baptist Convention Office off Blue Hill Road when he was approached by a man who shot him multiple times.

The victim died on the scene. Police have no suspects in custody and no motive for the killing.

Last month, in the face of rising homicides, National Security Minister Marvin Dames presented a number of crime fighting initiatives, highlighting plans to clamp down on persons out on bail, firearm traffickers, drug houses and enhancing senior command at the divisional level of the force on a 24-hour basis.

Mr Dames said effective immediately, the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) will “double down” on its efforts to combat violent crimes across the country.

Reflecting on the country’s latest murders, Mr Dames said at the time that police will be taking a more aggressive approach to handling drug peddling and shutting down drugs throughout the country, which he referred to as “the source of many of the crime problems that exist.”

The Mount Moriah MP also indicated that police would be increasing intelligence and operational efforts to identify and disrupt gang activities. More specifically, he said from an intelligence perspective there will be an increased focus on firearm traffickers with a view to bringing them to justice.

Mr Dames added that police intelligence has also revealed that a large percentage of recent homicides have occurred in what law enforcement refers to as “hot spots,” specifying the areas of Pinewood, Kemp Road, Bain Town, Yellow Elder, Fox Hill and Carmichael Road.

Pointing to areas of concern, Mr Dames said police will increase vehicle and foot patrols and will be using all the technology available to them, including increased monitoring of CCTV and all of their resources to curtail these violent crimes.

Anyone with information on this incident or any other crime is asked to call police at 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or the Crime Stoppers hotline anonymously at 328-TIPS.