The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were charged on Friday with the attempted murder of a two-year-old girl who was left hospitalised in critical condition after being shot in Eleuthera last weekend.

Marcus Saunders, 34, and Antonio Neely, 26, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney accused of attempting to cause the death of Da'Nyla Roberts on June 27. The pair were also accused of being in possession of a handgun which the prosecution alleged they intended to use to endanger the lives of Maxine Gibson, Terrance Taylor, Spencer Gibson and Navar Roker that same day.

As they made their way into the building on Friday, family members of the little girl could be heard crying and screaming: “You shoot my baby...justice !” The child’s mother was also held up by family members as she broke down in tears.

According to initial police reports, shortly before 10pm, police in Eleuthera received reports of a shooting at Baby Johnson Lane in Hatchet Bay. Officers who arrived on the scene discovered a toddler suffering from gunshot wounds to the lower abdomen. Initial reports noted that a woman was sitting on the porch of her residence holding her grandchild when a vehicle approached the residence and three men exited. Police said after making a comment, one of the men produced a handgun and discharged it in her direction before leaving. Moments later, the grandmother discovered that her granddaughter had been shot. At the time, the child was airlifted to New Providence for treatment.

During the hearing, Saunders and Neely were not required to enter a plea to the attempted murder charge and the matter was adjourned to September 4 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Both men opted to have the four counts of firearm possession with the intent to endanger life charges tried in the Supreme Court.

Bail was denied and the defendants were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

They have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.