The body of a 31-year-old man is taken away after he was gunned down on Hospital Lane yesterday afternoon. Chief Superintendent of Police Chrislyn Skippings said she recently spoke with the victim and he was ‘on the road to doing something positive.’ Photos: Dante Carrer
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A MAN on bail for murder was killed yesterday despite reportedly recently embracing a Christian lifestyle.
“He made a change, but the streets never forgave him,” Chief Superintendent of Police Chrislyn Skippings said about the victim.
She said she interacted with the man recently, during which he admitted he had been involved in “some activities” and was on the “road to doing something positive”.
She spoke to the 31-year-old last week when Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and a delegation walked through the community.
She said: “He recognised where he was, and he stood there, and he spoke to me, and I’m saying that to say, every week or every time we come to a crime scene, we always talk about somebody murdered, someone shot the person here. I want to use this opportunity to say to parents, loved ones, girlfriends, all right-thinking Bahamians who have children, men.
“It’s imperative that you train your children properly; once again, you have to deter them from getting involved in criminal activities from an early age. If you fail to steer them in the right direction, steer them away from a life of crime.
“When they get older, and they recognise the consequences of being involved in criminal activities, it’s too late. The young man recognised that some things he didn’t do right early on in his life. He made a change, but the streets never forgave him.”
Shortly before 3pm, the deceased was walking south on Hospital Lane when a man emerged from Sarah Ingraham Park and opened fire. The assailant fled on foot in a northern direction.
When reporters arrived on the scene, the victim’s body was near a church close to the park.
Pastor Carlos Reid said he knew of the victim, adding that some community members spoke highly about him.
“You know, it just shows that our society is a very unforgiving one,” he said. “You know that once you label, you label. What is ironic is that we just came to this area last Wednesday night. We did a walkthrough to this area, started right off this same park. So at that, it grieves my heart to have to come back to this area and have to see somebody like dead on the very same spot that we started.”
Comments
John 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Are you sure it’s the streets that never forgave? Or is there some other force behind some of these murders . Is so called ‘retaliation’ just justification?
bahamianson 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Well, the courts are backlogged, and the Bahamas does not believe in executions like America. So justice is setved. Now, the government had to decide if they will enforce capital punishment via lethal injection to conteol the killings , or ley the gangs control the killings.
moncurcool 9 months, 3 weeks ago
The government has already made a decision that they will not revert to capital punishment.
The question we must ask is what are we doing as community residents to help make our communities safer and break the cycle.
Unfortunately, capital punishment will not deter the hearts of people who are set to do evil. And eye for an eye will not solve our problem. This issue is only occurring in New Providence. So maybe we need to look at the rest of The Bahamas and see what is causing the issue not to happen there, and then make the necessary changes to New Providence.
hrysippus 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Bahamian women must gain complete and sole control over their reproductive ability; only in this way will unwanted, unloved, unruly children stop being born to later enter into a life of crime and murder.
bobby2 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Why is it that people only say they are changing for the better after they are caught?
sheeprunner12 9 months, 3 weeks ago
How much money is "the streets" paying these contract killers to take out persons who have offended or wronged others??????
Scenario A .......... If these contract killers are gang members .......... then the Govt should be on a search & destroy mission with the SWAT teams.
Scenario B ......... If these are just offended families who borrow or rent a gun and do a revenge killing, then that is a different matter.
The Government needs to explain to the wider population if it is Scenario A or Scenario B.
This is what our MONS "consultants" should be advising the New Day PLP Government on.
TalRussell 9 months, 3 weeks ago
In the spirit of street talk! --- That what Comrade "Sister" Chrislyn Skippings is talking, about, might lead you to --- Reflect on how many times, parents -- Must've not "Trained Up Their Child" on how to move on after suffering an election defeat. --- Yes?
trueBahamian 9 months, 3 weeks ago
The government seeks to find a solution to crime. You don't have a scenario where there is no crime. Your aim is to lower your crime statistics. Often the focus is on punishment. Executing someone doesn't lower your murder rate. Someone mentioned the US in the comments above. In a lot of major cities in the US there is an extremely high crime rate. The deal out punishment like candy. So, punishment isn't your solution. If we look at the European countries, their crime rates are extremely low compared to the US. They are quite lenient with their punishment. If you dig deeper you find a common trend, a good education system with free education provided through to university and a good healthcare system. It seems they treat people like human beings rather than animals. So, maybe that's the solution. If a poor man is treated like a man rather than a dog you may get him to act like a human being.
John 9 months, 3 weeks ago
I kinda agree with Tal. Many people forget that the Bahamas was under British rule before Independence. And up to and even after Independence, these islands ( BaHAMAS) were known for their peace and tranquillity. Residents sleeping with their doors and windows open, going to functions and events without the fear of being caught up in violence and walking the streets any hour of the night without being afraid of being robbed or assaulted. And the peace and tranquillity and safety still exists on most of the Family Islands. So what has turned Nee Providence into a crime infested jungle? There are many variants that contribute to this problem. Firstly there is an absence of communities in many parts of the island. Especially where there are rental units. There can be new neighbors every few months so there is no real neighborhood bonding. Young people find this distressing and so the ‘invitation’ to join gangs is more welcoming. Then the cost of living on New Providence is too high. Some may argue that the Family Islands are even more expensive but you can better manage your income and expenses on the island because life moved at a much slower pace. And a lot of culture is imported into New Providence than the Family Islands. A lot of young people travel ( especially to the United States for school and sporting and other events and when they return, they bring some of American culture with them. The heavy drinking and excessive smoking and partying all through the week is not Bahamian. And the guns and gang culture is definitely imported from America. Some try to blame the Haitian population but the Haitians usually keep to themselves and maintain the part of their culture here that is not violent. The sector of the Haitian population that is the biggest problem are those who lived in the United States and were deported here because of their involvement in crime. The British are more formal with their approach to governance and yes, they treat their subjects with dignity, somewhat. Many Bahamians never experienced unmasked racism until traveling abroad and that’s why Bahamians in the hotel industry and in general are complimented on their friendliness.
ohdrap4 9 months, 3 weeks ago
I do not comprehend how someone who has killed now goes on to do something ""positive"" and then has complete absolution? Gee. No
ThisIsOurs 9 months, 3 weeks ago
It's called grace.
All of us get it in some form because noone is perfect. But there's always a price to pay for the life we lived even with grace, for some it might be a physical deformity for some an illness,, for some its reputational damage and for some it's the loom of a grudge.
Sickened 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Finding Jesus doesn’t help you before or after committing a crime. Government should make it clear that once you commit a heinous crime you will be hunted and put down. No second chances to murder or rape. You will be Dead, Dead, DEAD!!!.
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