Three people shot dead | News

Three men were shot dead on Step Street in Fox Hill yesterday afternoon, in what Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander described as a brave move.

Fernander said a group of about 10 people had gathered in an open-air carport when a gray car showed up shortly before 4 p.m. He said three masked men armed with automatic rifles got out of the car and sprayed the group with bullets.

Only three people were shot.

Fernander said at the scene: “Our intelligence tells us that a person who managed to escape was the intended target.”

“He is on bail for murder and is being monitored. Officers located him recently and he is currently in custody to see if he can assist us with this investigation. “However, we believe he was the real target of the recent triple murder.”

He said police had some information about the killers and asked people to “wait.”

“We have patience and we will destroy them,” he said.

“We will find them.”

He said police did not rule out the possibility that the killings were gang-related.

Fernander called the shooting a brave move.

“Individuals don’t care,” he said.

“… We have 178 young people on bail who are being followed for murder and some people who are not being followed. So you can imagine the retaliation there.

“If we don’t solve this problem, if we don’t put some of these people behind bars for their safety, some other people are going to die. “We don’t want any innocent person to be involved in this,” he said.

Most of the police force’s senior commanders visited the scene yesterday.

Fernander said everyone should go on deck.

“Please help the police,” he said.

“All hands need to be on deck. One hundred seventy-eight people were released on bail for murder. This (why) retaliation continues to occur. I think they should have their day in court and act quickly. There is no bail. Act quickly. You can imagine 178 people behind bars. This reduces the fear of crime and you will see crime continue to decrease. But it has to happen. The punishment needs to fit the crime according to the weapons on our streets. The punishment must be appropriate to the crime.

“Everyone needs to be ready to win this or slow this crime situation down. If we don’t do this, other people will die too. “But your Royal Bahamas Police Force will continue to ensure that the Bahamian people and visitors to our shores are safe.”

Fernander said he did not want to see any more people out on bail being killed.

“I intend to take up this matter to ensure that those whom we suspect may be the next targets, based on the intelligence we have received, are arrested for their own safety,” he said.

These latest murders bring the number of homicides for the year to 102.