An investigator picks up cigarettes stolen from QVS Pharmacy at Seagrape Shopping Centre during an armed robbery where one suspect - a tenth grade student from RM Bailey Senior High School - was shot dead by police. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
UPDATED Thursday 4pm: Police have formally identified the boy as 15-year-old Gino Evante Finley, of Springfield Road.
By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
A BRAZEN daytime robbery yesterday ended with police shooting one teenage suspect dead and apprehending two more after the trio, along with another armed man, allegedly tied up an employee, held customers at gunpoint and robbed the QVS Pharmacy in the Seagrape Shopping Plaza.
Several packs of cigarettes were seen scattered throughout the nearby parking lot, confirmed by police to be the main component of the suspects’ haul, which included some cash. Some customers were also robbed.
The Ministry of Education confirmed last night that the dead boy was a tenth grade student from R M Bailey Senior High School.
Many onlookers said the incident played out like a scene from a movie. One customer, who was inside the store when the daring robbery occurred, described it as a scene of chaos and panic.
The customer, who asked not to be named, told The Tribune that assailants entered the store and demanded several items. Not satisfied with the speed of the cashier, two of the suspects moved behind the counter and tied her up, while another asked him to get on the ground.
“It looked like students, but you can’t really say,” the witness said.
“This really changes a lot, like how you look at life right now. I’m a little shaken up, (but) alright. They came right behind the cashier (and) pulled a gun on us.
“They told me to get on the ground,” the witness continued. “They tried to tie me but they couldn’t do it. I saw three of the four (suspects).”
He said he recalled seeing four customers scattered throughout the store while shopping. He said the harrowing event left him confused and shocked by how easily he could have lost his life.
Quick response
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander, alert officers responded to the call of a robbery in progress at the pharmacy.
Reports are that the four suspects entered the QVS Pharmacy shortly after 11am, demanded cash and other merchandise from the employees and customers, tied up at least one employee and attempted to tie up a male customer before fleeing the store on foot.
Officers in the immediate vicinity responded and once on the scene, encountered all four males, two of whom were brandishing firearms.
ACP Fernander said police gave chase, resulting in the suspects opening fire at police. Officers returned shots, fatally wounding one of the suspects. He indicated that two of the remaining three suspects were caught by officers a short time later near the crime scene.
“(Police) returned fire and eventually fatally shooting one of the individuals, who collapsed at the rear of the store. Just next to him his gun was found - a pistol was found not too far away from him. Two other culprits were later found in the vicinity and they were found in possession of some cash and also some items that you saw earlier in the parking lot, an assortment of cigarettes that they dropped as they were trying to flee from the officers.”
He continued: “At this present time we are actively investigating. As you can see the coroner came and she is a part of the investigation at this time.
“There is a lot of things going around in social media to say that they are school kids. We can’t say that at this time, that is a line of inquiry that we are following. The deceased appears to be a young child who should have been in school, but we are not confirming this at this present time.
“This is a line of inquiry that we are following and as we move with the investigation, we will be able to update you with respect to the investigation.”
However, last evening the Ministry of Education confirmed that the victim was an R M Bailey Senior High School student.
“As a police investigation is still ongoing, we have very few details to share with the public at this time,” the statement from Education Director Lionel Sands noted. “Nonetheless, we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the young man.
“The events surrounding this tragic incident point to a need for continued reform in our education system and I plead with the country to assist us in our efforts to implement the necessary reforms to reduce the amount of criminality and violence in our young men.”
Mr Sands said officials will offer counselling and support services to students and staff who are affected.
Line of duty
ACP Fernander said police are searching for the fourth suspect and asked the public to pray for members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force as they attempt to bring an end to crime.
ACP Fernander said officers are being pushed to the limit on a daily basis, operating with the fear that at any moment they could lose their lives in the line of duty.
He said: “And we want the members of the public, this is a Christian nation, to continue to pray for us because we are in the line of fire every day and we have families.
“We leave home, again, we don’t know if we are going to return. So we want the country to please continue to pray for their police force for guidance, that the good Lord will continue to guide us to remove this handful of criminals who continue to try to wreak havoc on the country.
“We will not stand by and let that happen. So it is a warning for the others out there, if you continue in your old ways, your bad ways in crime, we will be there for you. We will be there for you to put you wherever you belong; that is Fox Hill (in prison).”
ACP Fernander added: “If you continue in your old ways, this will be the end result at the end of the day.”
Yesterday’s incident marked the second police involved fatality in less than a week. A man was shot dead by police after a car chase and shootout on Saturday afternoon in Pride Estates. Both matters are currently being investigated by Coroner Jeanine Weech Gomez.
Comments
Economist 7 years, 6 months ago
Where are the parents of these children? Not just now but when they are doing school work. How much parenting are they getting? How old are the parents?
Much of this is a social issue.
tell_it_like_it_is 7 years, 6 months ago
You're so right. I wish that parents of under aged children had more accountability in this country when their children commit crimes (especially if neglect is found to be the case).
Sickened 7 years, 6 months ago
There is a very good chance that the mother and baby daddy of these kids need a VERY BIG SLAP!
birdiestrachan 7 years, 6 months ago
I am very sorry to read this.
Baha10 7 years, 6 months ago
I agree.
John 7 years, 6 months ago
Sometimes you have to wait for the rest of the story. The part you don't always get in the Tribune.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 6 months ago
Was this some teenager's prank gone bad????? ......... Was it gang-related???? ........ Or was this a quick-hit job for cash and smokes???
banker 7 years, 6 months ago
This is really bad news for The Bahamas. From the story, it appears that the kids were ordered to stop, and they opened fire with guns.
One has to think that critical faculties are quite impaired if anyone thinks that they can win a gunfight with the police.
This means that the socialisation of these kids is such that they are mostly unreachable. I can understand stealing stuff. What I can't understand is the reaction of the kids. When I was a kid, if an authority figure told me to do something, I would have done it. To respond with deadly force -- ie shooting at the popo, defies any sort of logic at all. That means that the kids would kill a person to escape.
What the hell is this place coming to? God help us all.
concernedcitizen 7 years, 6 months ago
As long as we keep beating the snot out of little kids under the guise of spare the rod we will keep producing anti social teens/young adults that use violence to solve conflicts .Most of the time when we beat/slap kids we have lost our tempers and are being violent .A recent 50 yr study of over a 100,000 kids show kids that receive corporal punishment are much more likely to be violent and anti social as young adults .Look at the Nordic countries that shun corporal punishment and many outlaw it.they have the lowest crime rates in the world and very little violence
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 6 months ago
"Spare the rod" gets a bad rap because it's misused. My four&three year old niece and nephew are deathly afraid of being "put on the naughty list". They straighten up quick. The rod is anything the child considers a punishment that corrects their behaviour. Taking away a computer, phone, tv, grounding, extra chores, no prom etc etc. it could include a physical beating but not in anger and not equated to beating the child to an inch of their life.
These boys in this situation, who knows? Life is complicated and all about choices.
concernedcitizen 7 years, 5 months ago
Actually the fifty year study of over 120,000 kids to adult hood ,were kids that were just spanked , not beat in anger or abused .You encode in their brain that physical force can change a behavior in others that you don,t like . I prefer empirical evidence/ studies than faith based assumptions .Just look at the Nordic countries .A study was just released that kids who are spanked even gently at three to four are more aggressive at 5 to 6 ,,
John 7 years, 6 months ago
There should be concern not only about the recent number of police involved shootings but also about the numbers of persons willing to challenge the police and engage in high speed chases and even shoot outs. What has led to this? Is it because recent crackdowns have caught criminals off guard with no option but to try escape when caught up, or has the high powered rifle-toting criminals become more bold and brazen and more willing to confront and challenge law enforcement officers. In the most recent incident at least one of the four suspects who challenged police was a 15 year old school boy. Apparently he and his cohorts were armed and robbed a local store of cigarettes and cigars. The incident ended with the 15 y/o losing his life at the hands of police. Many are still having a hard time making sense of this incident.
sealice 7 years, 6 months ago
it's easy to make sense of it.... if you play with guns you should expect to get shot....
themessenger 7 years, 6 months ago
You ain figure it out yet John? The Clinton's are putting lizard tail in dey weed.
John 7 years, 6 months ago
And these type shootings do not bode well for the police shooters either. They go through many months, years even of battling with their conscience. Some turn to drugs and alcohol and others beat the battle with their conscience and willing to hit their next target.
Sickened 7 years, 6 months ago
So right. The longer term effects on the policemen involved can be devastating. From friends and family members questioning them as to if they could have or would have done something differently, to playing the scene over and over again all day and every night in their heads for weeks on end. Not many people can handle that well. I certainly couldn't.
DDK 7 years, 6 months ago
Question - are the armed Police also equipped with video/audio recorders and if not, why not?
sealice 7 years, 6 months ago
Please the police aren't the problem - how many witness's saw this whole thing unfold right in front of them?
DDK 7 years, 6 months ago
Did not imply that the Police were a problem. It is just a good idea. There are not always witnesses. It keeps things clear for everyone.
PapaGolf 7 years, 6 months ago
Good riddance! He won't do it anymore!
Alex_Charles 7 years, 6 months ago
it's saddening, but when you point a weapon at innocent people and the police you forfeit your life.
killemwitdakno 7 years, 6 months ago
Charge all robbers with murder.
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 6 months ago
Good job. We need more thugs to die in this country.
I have no problem with this at all. Shoot them all!
We are not going to get crime under control by pussy footing around.
Kudos to the cops....
sheeprunner12 7 years, 6 months ago
HOW MANY MORE OF THESE BOYS (AND GIRLS) DRESS UP TO GO TO SCHOOL BUT NEVER SHOW UP????? ......... WHO KEEPS RECORDS IN SCHOOL TO MONITOR ABSENTEEISM?????? ....... WHO REVIEWS THESE DOCUMENTS EVERY WEEK/FORTNIGHT??????? ........... WHO CONTACTS PARENTS/POLICE ETC ABOUT THESE ABSENTEE STUDENTS?????? ............ DO PARENTS FOLLOW UP TO SEE IF THEIR CHILDREN ARE ATTENDING SCHOOL????????? ....... THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE STUDY.
TalRussell 7 years, 6 months ago
Comrades! During Her Excellency Dame Marguerite's Speech From The Throne, I was writing my commentary notes in the speech's margins on each page - including an outline as to new red regime proactive approach in addressing the nation's escalating crime wave. The red regime promised to examine the root causes of crime, not to keep on shooting and killing the alleged criminals.... and at the risk harming innocent individuals resulting from flying everywhere bullets.
I can report that unlike the previous Speech From The Throne - the Royal Throne has not gone missing. The Royal Throne is safe and secure!
truetruebahamian 7 years, 6 months ago
That's what you get. I hope your Ma is proud, and yer pa too - if you ever were told and knew who he is.
John 7 years, 6 months ago
racist ass ...some of y'all same set causing these problems..
themessenger 7 years, 6 months ago
Das right John, whitey always been the problem and always will be the problem for people who think like you, the Clintons mussy put lizard tail in your weed too.
John 7 years, 6 months ago
if your point was valid then what causes a 22 y/o to set off bombs that injures and kills scores of young, innocent teens. is this also a Black thing? And he know's his daddy,In fact do you know that 98% of all white people murdered are killed by another white person? y'all just racist pieces of rags.. trying to degrade Bahamians and colorize everything at every opportunity. smt
themessenger 7 years, 6 months ago
Just so ya know John, the Manchester bomber was a rag, aka Arab, not a white man. I also know that 100% of black people killed in this country are killed by black people.
Believer1 7 years, 6 months ago
If you point a gun at the Police, you can be expect to be shot; they are trained to shoot. It is terribly unfortunate that the social problems in this country have reached the point where young people are commiting violent crimes. The Police have to live with this every day to keep us safe, They deserve our gratitude, encouratement and prayers.
John 7 years, 6 months ago
Messenger I am aware that, according to the news, the persons that did the bombings were not white, but that was not my point. The point was that these things are not exclusive to black people or Bahamians. 1 Timothy 3:1 says terrible things will happen in the last days. And the Bible warns that the earth will become filled with violence. While some on here are quick to point fingers at the boy's parents or say he probably doesn't know his father y'all fail to acknowledge the presence of the son of perdition, the dragons, the devil himself, the father of lies and murders. Satan
concernedcitizen 7 years, 5 months ago
Actually b/c of the 24 news cycle we think things are much worse then they are .Violent crime in America is at a 40 year low and declining , hot spots of war around the globe are much lower than even the 1970, 1980,s ..Even Jamaica crime is down .One of our problems is beating kids and making male children little kings ..
John 7 years, 6 months ago
A few years ago there was a problem in this country where whenever police responded to house breaking or shop breaking and were fortunate enough to apprehend someone, the culprits always turned out to be minors. But police soon figured out that adult criminals were using minors to carry out crimes while the adult criminals stood in the background and undetected. If the minors were caught they would receive light sentences or be sent to reform schools and be back on the streets in a matter of months. Unlike the seasoned criminals who probably already had a long rap sheet and would have to spend several years in jail.
banker 7 years, 5 months ago
Or ... there is a cadre of young, poorly socialised monsters on the streets.
ohdrap4 7 years, 5 months ago
i remember a high profile case. in the end, one of the older teenagers had just turned 8, and served time as an adult.
after his release, he was gunned down before age 30.
cannot really fix them, that guys came from a good family and embarrassed his folks.
banker 7 years, 5 months ago
I believe this wholeheartedly.
The best that can be done, is to contain them through social means or in extreme cases, through incarceration means.
John 7 years, 5 months ago
They love to call you racist on this site, But when you tell them to define a racist and they go look up the definition and they see a picture of themselves there along with both their parents and grand parents, they try to attack from another angle. And so there will never be lasting peace on this earth until Christ returns. As a matter of fact Donald Trump says he is returning from his trip to Europe feeling like a black man. He never thought he would be so hated by the people he expected to embrace him.
themessenger 7 years, 5 months ago
John, I'm sorry to say but it is you who have a habit of referring to anyone who's opinion doesn't dovetail with yours as being racist. Aside from certain cadres in the PLP most of us Bahamians moved on from that a long time ago and, as I have mentioned in the past, we have been self ,aka black governed, for the last fifty years and our track record is, shall we say, less than scintillating.Therefore it is incumbent upon all of us Bahamians, black, white and in between, to look in the mirror each morning and commit ourselves to returning our country to what it once was and could once again be.
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