Police hunt killers as death toll passes 100 in Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Bahamas Police Commissioner, Clayton Fernander, says he remains confident that law enforcement authorities will apprehend the gunmen who shot and killed three people outside a garage on Tuesday, pushing the country’s death toll to 102 so far this year.

“What our intel is saying to us is that an individual who was able to get away was the intended target,” Fernander told reporters, adding “he is on bail for murder and he is being monitored”.

He said the police have since detained the individual who is assisting in their investigations, adding “but we believe he was the intended target for this recent triple murder”.

According to the police, a group of about 10 men were gathered at an outdoor car garage, when another vehicle and three masked men armed with automatic rifles exited the car and sprayed the group with bullets.

The police commissioner said the authorities have information on the killers and “we will smoke them out. “We will find them,” he said, adding that the police have not ruled out that the killings are gang related.

“The individuals don’t care…we have 178 young men on bail who are being monitored for murder and some other individuals who are not being monitored. So you could imagine the retaliation in there.

“If we don’t address that, to get some of those individuals behind bars for their safety, some other people will die. We don’t want any innocent people to get caught up in that,” Fernander said, appealing to the public to “please help the police.

“All hands have to be on deck. One hundred and seventy eight individuals on bail for murder. This is [why] the retaliation continues to happen. I feel they should have their day in court and move swiftly. No bail. Move swiftly.

“You could imagine 178 people behind bars. That reduces the fear of crime and you would see crime continue to trend down. But it has to happen. The punishment has to fit the crime with respect to the guns that are on our streets. The penalty has to fit the crime.

“All hands have to be on deck in order to win this or slow this crime situation down. If we don’t, some other people will die. But your Royal Bahamas Police Force will continue to ensure that the Bahamian people and visitors to our shores are safe,” Fernander said, adding he does not want to see more people on bail being murdered.

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