The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A ROUTINE night of providing security ended in gunfire and grief early Monday when entrepreneur Mario “Ducky” Lockhart was gunned down outside a party, a killing his family believes followed an earlier confrontation over entry rules.

Lockhart, 52, the owner of Hardcore Security and the entertainment venue Da Crib Lounge, was shot by a masked gunman dressed in dark clothing near Marcus Bethel Way while working security around 2.30am.

Police said ShotSpotter technology alerted officers to gunfire off West Bay Street. When police arrived, they found an unresponsive man suffering from gunshot wounds.

Relatives said Lockhart had been supervising security at what was expected to be a routine event. His sister and cousin were also working that night, with Lockhart overseeing the security team while his sister conducted searches of female patrons.

Family members said trouble began earlier when a couple allegedly attempted to enter the event without paying. Lockhart’s niece, Dian Williamson, said her uncle confronted them after they refused to pay and comply with standard security procedures, including being searched.

After an argument, the couple left, relatives said. Hours later, a masked man returned and shot Lockhart, killing him.

At the time of the shooting, Lockhart’s sister had stepped away briefly. The family believes that moment may have saved her life.

“I still trying to grapple to understand it,” Ms Williamson said. “He had his ways like everyone else, but as far as crime, he never was in no mix up. He never been to prison for things. He always worked for his money and do what he could do and stay low.”

Lockhart, a father of three, was a central figure in both his family and the entertainment scene. His death has hit his family especially hard, coming just one year after relatives lost his sister, Ms Williamson’s mother.

Ms Williamson said the family is deeply concerned about Lockhart’s 78-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia and other health issues and is due to celebrate her birthday next month.

“I don't think she understands what's going on,” Ms Williamson said. “I think when she goes to the morgue, I'm thinking maybe she'll register then, but my Grammy was just trying to process being this Christmas without mommy and now her baby.”

Lockhart’s sister, Nel, who was at the party, has struggled to speak about the shooting without breaking down. His older brother, Kendrick, described the killing as another devastating blow after a year that also saw the loss of their sister, his girlfriend and his job.

“Where I go, he go. He follow,” Kendrick said, recalling their childhood closeness.

Ms Williamson said Lockhart was a father figure to her, walking her down the aisle at her wedding a decade ago.

“This a shock for the family,” she said. “Like somebody just literally killed somebody for nothing couple days before Christmas.”

News of Lockhart’s death rippled quickly through the entertainment community. DJs, promoters and influencers flooded social media with tributes and calls for justice.

Widely known as the “Bahamian Rick Ross” because of his physical resemblance to the American rapper, Lockhart was respected for his professionalism and the seriousness with which he approached his work, providing security for celebrities, artists and major events.

“He thought he was working for the president,” Ms Williamson said. “Like whoever his person was because he would be sometimes what you call a personal escort, and if he working for you, ain’t nobody gon’ touch you. Ain't nobody gon’ look at you unless he say okay.”

Relatives said Lockhart was deeply committed to Nassau Village and regularly gave back to the community. They said he often hired men who might otherwise struggle to find work, urging them to carry themselves with discipline and pride.

“That’s the type of person my uncle was,” Ms Williamson said. “My uncle never bothered anyone.”

Lockhart also ventured into politics, running unsuccessfully as the DNA candidate for Nassau Village in 2017.

His killing pushes the country’s murder count to 81 for the year. As of yesterday, police had not announced any arrests, and another recent suspicious death remains under review for possible classification as a homicide.