The Tribune

By Sancheska Dorsett

ONE man is dead and two others are in serious condition after they were shot multiple times while working on a construction site yesterday afternoon.

The murder took place shortly after noon off Shirley Street and is one of two killings which occurred on the weekend.

Yesterday, police said they have two men in custody in connection with the murder of a 27-year-old father of one late Friday night.

That shooting death took place shortly before 10pm off Farrington Road. The killings brought the country’s murder count for the year to 120 and marked the first two homicides for December, according to The Tribune’s records.

Regarding the latest incident, Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash, officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit, said police were alerted to the crime scene after two of the victims ran through Fowler Street after being attacked by two men.

“Sometime after noon, police responded to reports of gunshots off Shirley Street and Fowler Street. When officers arrived on the scene, they met two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds through Fowler Street,” Chief Supt Cash said.

“Officers were directed to Shirley Street west of Fowler Street where they found the lifeless body of a male lying on the construction site.”

EMS personnel came to scene and examined the male victims found on Fowler Street and they were taken to the hospital. The other male was pronounced dead on the scene. The information we have is that the men were working at the construction site when two persons approached them and gunshots erupted.”

Chief Supt Cash said police have no motive for the shooting at this time. 

As it relates to the murder on Friday, Chief Supt Cash said it occurred in a community known to be a “crime hotspot.” However, he urged residents of Farrington Road to “walk about as normal” because they are still “safe.”

“Sometime after 9.40pm, police were called to the report of a shooting off Farrington Road. When officers arrived on the scene they met a white Honda vehicle which was parked on the western side of the street with a male lying on the inside,” Chief Supt Cash said.

“After examination, they discovered he had several gunshot wounds. Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene and pronounced him dead on the scene. What we know thus far is that shortly after 9.40pm, two males were sitting in the car, with two other persons when a Japanese type vehicle pulled up behind them. A lone gunman emerged from the vehicle and opened fire on the deceased.”

Police have not identified Friday’s victim but The Tribune understands he is Javan Forbes. According to police sources, Forbes aka “Stutter” was previously shot in May of this year at Providence Avenue.

Chief Supt Cash also said police have been conducting “frequent searches” in the area that is “known to be a hotspot” for crime and drug peddling.

“Over the year, we have been searching this area for persons we suspect to be involved in crime and the peddling of dangerous drugs and we will continue to do that. We will like to tell residents of this area that they are free to walk about as normal and they are safe,” he said.

“We are geared at going after person who we know are responsible for committing these serious offences and we will continue to do that of course. As you understand we just formed an Anti-Gang Unit and we just recently established the Flying Squad Unit and those units, their concentration is to look at hot spots and prolific persons we know are continuously committing serious crimes in communities.”

Last week, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean attributed the recent downward trend in crime to the “grace of God” and the new crime-fighting initiatives of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Minister of National Security Marvin Dames and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis have both recently said overall crime is trending down. Despite frequent police reports of shootings and armed robberies, only one homicide was recorded in November – an anomaly this year. However, murders are up overall by about 17 per cent, according to The Tribune’s records. Up to press time, there were 120 murders so far this year compared with 102 as of December 5, 2016, according to this newspaper’s records.

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

Investigations continue.