The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

FOUR men died in under 24 hours over the weekend - the first three in two incidents which police believe were committed by the same individuals, and the fourth in a shooting last night.

The three shootings, plus Monday's murder of the prime minister's press secretary at Bahamas Information Services, pushed the country’s murder count for 2014 to 83, ten more than last year’s by today’s date, according to The Tribune’s records, while the fourth death of the weekend was a traffic fatality that police are linking to the first two shootings.

The Bahamas had recorded 72 murders by August 25, 2013 according to The Tribune’s data.

The first killing took place in an incident at about 10pm on Saturday.

A 20-year-old male of Avocado Street in Pinewood Gardens was sitting on a wall when the occupants of a car passed, rolled down the window and fired several shots. The man, among a group of other men, was hit in the neck. He was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries.

About three hours later, police were called to the scene of another killing. This time police were told, the victim was walking on Johnson Alley, off Wulff Road around 1:30am when he was chased by four assailants in a silver coloured Honda Accord.

Police said one of the gunmen got out of the car and opened fire on the victim. The car then ran over the victim leaving the scene in an easterly direction.

Officers found the victim, 22, in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital, but later died. Moments later a 20-year-old pedestrian was hit by silver coloured Honda Accord. Police believe the perpetrators in the vehicle were also responsible for the two murders, which had occurred earlier.

Police were told that the victim, a male resident of Lyon Road, had just left his sister’s home on Strachan’s Alley and was walking home.

As he got into the area of Parkgate Road, he was struck by a silver coloured Honda Accord, police said. The occupants of the Honda got out of the car and later set the vehicle on fire. The car was found a short distance away from where the man was struck.

“Police believe that this is the same vehicle used in the two earlier murders and are investigating the circumstances as to how this male came by his death,” police said in a statement.

Police are actively investigating the incidents and urged the public to come forward with any relevant information.

A 32-year-old man was arrested by officers in the Hanna Road area yesterday morning with reference to the Johnson Alley incident.

The third fatal shooting within a 24-hour period took place at about 8.30pm last night.

A 22-year-old man from Price Street in Nassau Village was walking along his road when three men in a black Honda Civic followed by a man on a trail motorbike approached from the opposite direction.

Two of the men in the Honda and the biker pulled out weapons and opened fire at the pedestrian, hitting him in the back as he tried to run away.

Emergency services responded to the scene and took the victim to Princess Margaret Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police are also investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred on Quackoo Street on Saturday.

The victim had reportedly attended a funeral before he was hit by persons driving a Toyota.

The victim was taken to hospital where his condition is listed as serious.

Police also reported last that a man had been arrested at about 12.35am on Saturday by officers in the Sutton Street area. The 32-year-old was wanted for questioning over the murder that took place on Lyon Road, off Shirley Street, at about 10pm on Thursday.

The police can be contacted at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.