The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are asking for the public’s help in locating the persons responsible for killing an autistic man and seriously injuring another man in a drive by shooting Wednesday night.

The shooting happened shortly after 10pm at Whites Addition, off Kemp Road.

This murder took the country’s homicide count to 130 for the year, the highest number ever recorded in the country’s history.

According to police reports, the victims were standing outside a residence when they were shot several times by an unknown suspect or suspects.

One of the victims died on the scene, while the other was rushed to hospital where he is listed in serious, but stable condition.

Police have not officially identified the murder victim, but sources said he is 30-year-old Demyko Forbes also known as “Ross.”

The Tribune also understands Forbes was autistic and wanted to “fit in” with his peers. However, a friend of his said the victim was “not a gang banger or criminal.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said police have no one in custody and no motive for this murder.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.

About two hours before Forbes was killed, police were called to another shooting. Shortly after 8pm on Wednesday, police were called to the scene of an apparent traffic accident at the intersection of Village Road and Parkgate Road. Once at the scene, police saw the body of a woman riddled with gunshots, slumped inside her car.

The victim, Joyelle McIntosh, was a 34-year-old mother and teacher.

Earlier this week, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe told The Tribune that instead of pointing the finger at politicians for the increase in murders, Bahamians should “get angry and march against it.”

Mr Wilchcombe also told The Tribune that the new murder record is “disgraceful.“ However, he said that while the rise in murder has so far not affected the tourism industry, the country has to “reverse this negative trend” before the Bahamas’ brand is negatively affected.

The previous murder record came in 2011, when 127 persons were murdered that year. The PLP, which was in opposition at the time, used the problem of crime and murders as an election tactic.

The party campaigned on the platform that it had the solution to lower violent crime while the Ingraham administration did not. However, since coming to office, the Christie administration has been grappling with the same issue as murders continued to rise.