The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

ALL Bahamians should be shocked and outraged by the drive-by shooting of a 14-year-old boy in the early hours of yesterday morning, the executive director of Bahamas Against Crime said.

Rev CB Moss, who has repeatedly warned of the consequences of increasing lawlessness over the past several years, said everyone should be concerned now that even children are being targeted.

He called on the authorities to intently probe the incident and do all they can to prevent similar crimes from talking place.

Rev Moss also criticised Bahamian parents in general, saying that if they cannot be accountable for their children, the government should step in.

Shortly after 1:30am, the young victim was on Charles Saunders Highway when he was approached by a black Nissan Sentra.

Someone in the car opened fire on the boy, hitting an undisclosed number of times.

He is currently in hospital in stable condition – one of three persons shot over the weekend.

“It’s important for society, at large, to demonstrate some sort of outrage as to an incident like this – no matter what the circumstances are,” Rev Moss said.

“Our society must become more involved in what’s going on as it relates to negative activities of this sort. We just can’t brush our hands and walk away and say, ‘Well it’s not affecting us – my child was at home.’ This is affecting all of us.”

Questioning the circumstances that led to the teen being on the highway at that hour, Rev Moss called on all parents to take better control over their children.

“It points to the need for better parental control and if parents are unable or unwilling to control their minor children then it is our opinion that the state must step in and assist them,” he said. “In other words, parents must be held more accountable for the actions of their minor children and legislation should be enacted to ensure that this is done.”

Not only are young people increasingly becoming victims of crime, they are also becoming more involved in criminal activities, Rev Moss said.

He said criminal cartels are now actively recruiting minors – all the more reason for keeping young people off the streets at night.

“Now, I’m not suggesting that this boy was involved in any sort of criminal activity, but what I am saying is we are seeing it more and more.

“The reports from the courts reveal that very serious crimes – including murder – are now being conducted by teenagers and it calls loudly for the need for some attention to be given to that area. It’s as simple as that,” Rev Moss said.

“And if the youngster was not involved in crime, or a victim of any kind of forced crime, then what was he doing out during that time of the night?

“We must question, is he homeless? Is there some situation at home that prevented him from being at home? These are areas that must be investigated and immediate action taken.

“We must not just file this in the cabinet containing this kind of information and move on,” he said. “We must use this as case for intense investigation and find out where the fault lies – is it with the parents or was he legitimately where he was supposed to be and therefore a victim of some illegal activities – and let’s do something about it.”

The first shooting of the weekend took place early Saturday morning when a 22-year-old man left a local night club following an argument with a group of men.

The victim was at a club on Madeira Street off Mackey Street around 1:30am when the argument took place.

The man reportedly left the club but was pursued by the men in two separate Honda cars.

Police say a short time later, gunshots were heard and the man was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital where he is detained in stable condition.

Also on Saturday, around 10:45pm, a 22-year-old Sea Breeze Lane man was shot in his arm.

Police say circumstances surrounding the incident remain unknown at this time.

Police are also looking for the man responsible for an armed robbery that occurred outside a West Bay Street business, shortly before 6am on Friday.

Police say two dark men, allegedly armed with high powered weapons, approached the business and robbed a security officer and visitor of their cellphones.

The culprits also took a watch and Ipad from the visitor before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction.

Police are also searching for a man responsible for robbing a woman at gunpoint of her champagne-coloured 2005 Honda Civic.

The woman was on Carmichael Road shortly before 9pm on Thursday when she was approached and subsequently robbed of her car by a man allegedly armed with a handgun.

Police are investigating all of the incidents and appealing to members of the public who might have information to contact the police.