The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Wayne Munroe yesterday urged Bahamians to confront the gun violence gripping New Providence after three men were killed in separate shootings within about 20 hours over the weekend.

Speaking outside the Office of the Prime Minister ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting, Mr Munroe said the country continues to struggle with young people carrying high-powered weapons and warned that the consequences extend beyond intended targets.

“It’s a matter of fact that we have some citizens doing foolishness,” he said. “We still have young men with guns, and I am understanding in one of the recent incidents, even a young woman was one of the persons arrested.”

Mr Munroe said people must recognise the wider danger posed by heavily armed offenders.

“Persons have to understand that this is a society in which you live in; you need to stop it,” he said. “You running around here with high-powered weapons, suppose you kill somebody who you know, apart from saying you don’t mind killing your enemies.”

He said the violence was a problem the country had to confront collectively, arguing that those involved were products of the society in which they were raised.

“At the end of the day it’s a problem that we face as a society; these are our children,” he said. “They didn’t drop from the sky so we have to continue to work on raising proper, well-adjusted children.”

His comments followed three separate killings between Friday afternoon and Saturday noon.

The first occurred shortly before 4pm on Friday near Soldier Road and Blue Hill Road, where police found a 51-year-old man lying face down near an apartment complex with apparent gunshot wounds.

Police said two men emerged from a white Japanese-model vehicle, produced firearms and fired several rounds at the victim before fleeing east along Soldier Road.

Less than 16 hours later, shortly after 7am on Saturday, a 52-year-old man was shot dead at his Joe Farrington Road residence.

Police said three men emerged from a silver SUV and approached the victim. Two were armed with high-powered weapons and the third carried a handgun.

The gunmen opened fire as the victim ran inside his residence in an attempt to escape. Police said the attackers followed him inside and continued shooting before fleeing west along Joe Farrington Road.

About five hours later, a 36-year-old man was shot dead while carrying out landscaping work on Gladstone Road, north of Fire Trail Road.

Police said two armed men exited a white Japanese-model vehicle and opened fire on the victim before fleeing north.

The suspected vehicle was later intercepted by officers assigned to Operation Black Scorpion in the Pride Estates area, triggering a police pursuit that ended in Allen Close.

Police said the occupants allegedly opened fire on officers, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.

The driver eventually stopped behind a residence and four occupants — an 18-year-old woman and three men — exited the vehicle. Police said one of the men allegedly continued firing at officers before the three male suspects escaped over a fence.

Officers later found the 18-year-old woman hiding beneath a bus and arrested her in connection with the matter.

Detectives processing the vehicle and surrounding area recovered two high-powered firearms, a handgun and ammunition.

Police were also investigating another shooting on Sunday night in the Reeves Street area, off Fox Hill Road, where two men were shot and taken to hospital by ambulance.