The Tribune

BIMINI Chief Councillor Robbie Smith says residents there are not fearful in the aftermath of a daytime shooting last week. He said the incident was “isolated”.

On Friday, police said they were on the hunt for two men involved in the incident. One of the men was captured Friday, while authorities continue to search for the second.

The shooting, captured on video, was widely circulated on social media platforms showing two men fighting in the street followed by one of them receiving a gun from another man nearby.

One of the men was shot several times while trying to flee as his assailant pursued him.

Police later revealed that the men wanted for questioning in the incident were Maurice Mikkel Cartwright, aka “Joe” or “Miguel,” 39, of Kitty’s Apartment Queens Highway, Bailey Town, Bimini, and Derval Anson Cornell Hanna, aka “Val” 33, of Zion Hill Corner, Bailey Town. They were alleged to have attempted to commit murder.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville were in Bimini at the time of the incident. Dr Darville quickly assembled a team to stabilise the victim who was seriously injured.

The team was able to stabilise him for transport to New Providence where he remains in critical condition.

Despite the seriousness of the incident, Mr Smith on Sunday said the men were friends and no one felt fearful.

“To me and after feeling out everybody in Bimini, everybody feels safe, especially when you know the persons that were involved,” Mr Smith said when he was contacted. “It seems like it was just an isolated incident as those guys are friends.

“Down here just about everybody is family-oriented. You are either good friends or family to those involved in that incident. So, there’s no fear here.

“It’s not stopping anyone from going on about their business. It’s not like it was a gang related incident. It’s something that started out as a fight with friends and it escalated to that.”

He also said: “No one is worried about anything because we know those involved. I would call it an isolated incident and it just happened at the wrong time.

“Everybody knows them, as you know this island is small.”

Police Superintendent Terecita Pinder confirmed yesterday that Cartwright, the man seen handing the gun to the shooter is now in police custody.

Erica Saunders, a Bimini resident said people weren’t experiencing any anxiety following the incident.

“Fearful? No, ma’am,” Ms Saunders said. “We are not fearful of anything. It’s business as usual on the island today. I mean the residents are talking about what went down, but that’s about it.

“We know the guys had some sort of row and it ended up in one shooting the other one, but that really was between those two, not us. It’s not a widespread thing if that is what people were thinking. That was between them and now, unfortunately it is between them and the police.”

Hanna who remains at large, is five feet seven inches tall, of heavy build and weighs 250 pounds. He has a light brown complexion with dark brown eyes.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Mr Hanna is asked to call Alice Town Police Station in Bimini at 242-347-3144.