‘Bunny’ came on police’s radar after brother’s killing

Up until the latter part of 2019, the Westmoreland police say they did not know about Andre 'Bunny' Hinds.

However, soon after he had killed two people - in reprisal for his younger brother's murder - the 31-year-old, who was killed during a confrontation with lawmen in the parish on Saturday, quickly became an ever-present on the police's most wanted list.

About 11 a.m., the police say they were fired at as they searched for Hinds and other gunmen in a forest area. The lawmen returned the fire and, during the exchange, Hinds was fatally shot. An AK-47 assault rifle, two AK-47 magazines, and several rounds of ammunition were reportedly seized from the deceased.

Robert Gordon, who commands the Westmoreland Police Division, told THE STAR yesterday that Hinds' brother was killed after he was accused of being responsible for a missing gun.

"He [younger brother] was not involved in any form of violence from all indication. It was believed that at his home, somewhere in Russia, some criminals from the gang hid a weapon under his cellar. They went back for the weapon and couldn't find it. So they were threatening him to say that he must account for the weapon. And that was what led to his brother's demise," Gordon said. He added that after Hinds killed the two people, he killed another man in Bluefields.

"Right now we are looking into at least four murders around him, and that is how he ended up in Alldere area. Additionally, the group with which he was, among the three of them together, there are at least seven murders that we are investigating," he said.

Gordon stated that Hinds and his two associates, identified only as 'Santa' and 'Moses', drove fear in the hearts of people in Alldere.

"They were a genuine menace to the community. I can tell you that if you go into that community, you can get a feel of the pulse of the people there," he said.

Acting on intelligence, Gordon said that the security forces made several attempts to apprehend Hinds but he somehow always managed to elude them. He was unapologetic as he talked about Hinds' demise.

"He might not have got to his brother's killers because we arrested two persons for that, but he impacted persons associated with them. But from a policing perspective, simply put, one less killer on the loose," he said.

- R.M.