EXECUTED: Six dead in horrific gangland ambush

• Assassins strike after police free suspects

• Woman and child hit in attack by ‘monsters’

• Police fear deaths may be trigger for revenge

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

SIX men were murdered in a hail of bullets after men wearing black, brandishing high powered assault rifles and handguns, ambushed them at the intersection of Jerome Avenue and Chesapeake Road yesterday.

A woman and two-year-old girl, who were in a separate vehicle but believed to be related to one of the deceased victims, were critically injured in the gun attack, police said. They were said to be in critical but stable condition in hospital last night.

The incident is the deadliest shooting in recent times. It unfolded shortly after the men were released from police custody. They were arrested on Wednesday for firearm possession but were released hours before their deaths. Police said the men were not all held at the same station; they were at Central Detective Unit and other locations.

At least four of them were arrested after an incident at the foot of the old Paradise Island Bridge on which was noted in an earlier police press release. The remaining two men and others were also arrested for similar incidents.

As the six men pulled up to the intersection in a silver Honda Inspire shortly before 5 last night, a white Kia SUV trailed behind them. Four men in black then emerged from the SUV, two with high powered weapons, and shot at the victims. Police suspect it was a gang related attack.

The deaths pushed the nation’s murder count to 39 for the year, according to this newspaper’s records.

In response, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle ordered officers to saturate known criminal hotspots to prevent potential retaliatory incidents by rival groups.

At a press conference at police headquarters last night, National Security Minister Marvin Dames called the perpetrators “monsters” and insisted it was time for relatives and friends harbouring such people to stand with police to fight the scourge of violence.

No guns or drugs were found in the vehicle, police said.

“Once the officers arrived at the scene they met six individuals—(victims) one and two was on the outside of the silver Honda Inspire,” Assistant Commissioner Solomon Cash said. “(Victims) three, four, five and six was confined to the inside of a Honda Inspire.

“The officers did a preliminary assessment of the scene and they discovered that all six victims was shot multiple times and appeared lifeless. Officers also discovered two additional victims: one an adult female victim who suffered multiple gunshot wounds and a minor two-year-old victim who also suffered a gunshot wound.

“Those two victims were transported to the Accident and Emergency of the Princess Margaret Hospital where they will undergo medical assistance and their injuries were described as critical, but stable. The six males deceased was also pronounced dead on scene by medical practitioners.

“The only information that we are working with at this time is that shortly before that time a Honda Inspire pulled up and that junction followed by what was described as a white Kia jeep.

“Four persons all wearing black clothing emerged from that vehicle. Two we suspect was armed with high powered weapons and the other two was armed with what appeared to be handguns.

“These persons opened fire on that Honda Inspire causing a high amount of damage to that vehicle. The vehicle then ran off the road and into bushes as those suspects continued firing their weapons on the inside,” ACP Cash said.

The shooting of the two-year-old child came after a ten-year-old boy was shot to death last month while two other children were hurt.

The children were at their home in Bain Town at the time.

Asked by The Tribune about concern that yet again another child was victim to gun violence, Commissioner Rolle said it showed that criminals were becoming more “despicable”.

“Some time ago I made the comment about even in the criminal world persons not abiding by their own code,” he said.

“One of those codes is where you have females and children, the rival individuals typically do not engage, but in recent times we have noticed that it is becoming more and more despicable the behaviour of these persons and it shows you the level of disrespect that they have even among themselves that they could just carelessly shoot they don’t care who is in the area or in that vehicle. They just shoot and this is what we have seen, and I think that people need to speak out more.”

“These are the monsters that we would have raised,” Mr Dames added. “These are nobody’s kids but ours. We have brought them into this world.

“The Commissioner is 1000 percent correct. It’s time for us now to play our respective roles as parents and as family members.”

He also said: “We have an idea of what they are engaged in and it’s a problem when you put and assault rifle in the hands of an inexperienced child. This is often the end result of that.”

In response to yesterday’s incident, teams were sent into communities to establish what the commissioner called a “formidable presence”.

“We understand that these individuals may have been involved with these rival groups, but we want to make sure that there is going to be no retaliation. We are not going to allow that tonight or tomorrow or the following days onward,” the police chief said.

“We will establish a formidable presence to ensure that every household, every member in this city remains safe until we find these individuals and bring them to justice.”

The murders have also shed light on a growing concern about the kinds of weapons on the street.

“All firearms are dangerous, but I want to say that the difference between a handgun that someone may possess may carry eight or 15 rounds, you talking about an assault rifle that is capable of firing up to 1,000 rounds per minute,” the Commissioner said.

“You squeeze the trigger and in three seconds you already fired 30 rounds and these persons are not trained. We don’t use those in the police force. We don’t use those automatic weapons for the very same reason. Those things are not for this type of environment, they are for war. When people go out in the war, they just take them and spray, that is the type of weapons that are here.

“Yes, we are concerned about it.”

An incident room at the Central Detective Unit to sift through information that could lead to finding the perpetrators was also established.

People with information are asked to call 502-9929, 502-9935, 502-9942, or 502-9952.

Mass killings, though not common in The Bahamas, have been recorded before. In 2013, four people were killed, and several others were injured at a mass shooting at Freedom Park in Fox Hill. In 1964 30‐year‐old building contractor Reuben Rolle reportedly killed six people, including his wife, with a shotgun before going on a rampage and wounding six others.

Comments

Cobalt says...

I’m sure that jackass John will find a way justify the actions of these ill-breaded animals.

Posted 16 April 2021, 4 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

I’m sure your mother made a lot of justifications f in her lifetime... for you.

Posted 16 April 2021, 4:50 a.m. Suggest removal

Cobalt says...

Actually, my mother and father are quite proud of me. They worked hard and sent both my brothers and I to private school. Two of us eventually became successful physicians. Matter of fact I’m glad I grew up with my mother and father both living under the same roof. Which is more than I can say for a diseased lout like you. Lol

Posted 16 April 2021, 8:48 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

> “These are the monsters that we would have raised,” Mr Dames added. “These are nobody’s kids but ours. We have brought them into this world.

.

Posted 16 April 2021, 4:56 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

So the Tribune is now censoring my posts? Where is the rest of this post? Nevertheless I will repost!

Posted 16 April 2021, 7:24 a.m. Suggest removal

Cobalt says...

Thats because the tribune has come to realize what we all know John.... that you are a pointless fool.

Posted 16 April 2021, 8:59 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Don't waste your time with @John. It's Marvin Dames and Paul Rolle who are failing us by not addressing the proliferation and ever increasing head count of well organized, well armed and well known hard core criminal groups in our society. And they both know that a big part of the problem here is corrupt senior law enforcement officers who are involved with criminal elements in the dealing of arms and trafficking of drugs and humans.

Posted 16 April 2021, 11:23 a.m. Suggest removal

mandela says...

What is the purpose of the National Intelligence Agency? Why don't they do their intell work and find the importers and sellers of these guns? How can such an agency be touted that this agency could protect the Bahamas as far as intelligence gathering in cases of terrorist attacks against the land and they can't even stop attacks from within? What a useless waste of money, and a waste of an agency.

Posted 16 April 2021, 6:58 a.m. Suggest removal

JohnQ says...

These thugs are running the streets of New Providence every single day and have been for a number years. They routinely engage one another for the purpose of establishing respect and/or revenge. Meanwhile, we law abiding citizens are living behind barred windows and doors, without the ability to move about safely. Unfortunately, the situation isn't going to improve, and we are left to wonder what is next. The police can't protect us and we are not allowed to protect ourselves. So as we travel around we see the results, a decaying city, theft and crime everywhere, citizens who fear for life and property, and no light at the end of the tunnel. Our shores are overrun by illegal aliens who care nothing about others.

Our laws must be enforced without hesitation, bail or any early release.

Posted 16 April 2021, 7:32 a.m. Suggest removal

Emilio26 says...

I guess former PM Perry Christie was right a few years ago when he said Nassau is the Wild West.

Posted 16 April 2021, 8:13 a.m. Suggest removal

One says...

These are the foot soldiers. To stop this the general/bosses/leaders of these groups need to be targeted.

Lack of education and poverty has created a large pool of desperate people who are easy to recruit and be made a pawn.

Posted 16 April 2021, 8:45 a.m. Suggest removal

Cobalt says...

This brazen attack is an embarrassment to Bahamian law enforcement.

Posted 16 April 2021, 8:56 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Look beyond the headlines. Young Black men in this country are under seige. And if the man who was elected to protect them and this country can refer to them as monsters, expect the killings to continue. Marvin Dames reference to these men as monsters is only a regurgitation of Hillary Clinton’s words when she called young (Black ) men dangerous, super predators, who are damaged beyond repair and no longer have a conscience. The most Black men ever was sent to jail under her husband’s presidency and if you watch the news where you see how traffic cops handled a Black Army Sargent in uniform ( pepper spraying, tackling him to the ground and threatening to kil him, or the incident where a 13 year old boy was chased and shot dead by police who later claim he had an automatic weapon or the incident where a 20 year old was shot and killed by a female police officer who claimed she thought she was using her taser, Houston we have a problem.

Posted 16 April 2021, 9:46 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

A few weeks ago police claimed that drug laced snacks were being imported into the country. No one was arrested or charged but shortly after, similar drug laced products ended up in the hands of school aged children, both on New Providence and Eleuthera. Police claim these men have high powered weapons that even trained officers are not allowed to use. These weapons started showing up on the streets of this country several years ago but no one has ever been charged with importing these weapons into the country. And coincidentally, the same time these weapons started showing up here and on the streets of other Caribbean countries, hundreds of similar weapons went missing from a US ‘fast and furious’ operation that was claiming to be tracking the sale of illegal firearms in Central America and The Caribbean. Those weapons were never recovered, and although they are said to be Russian assault weapons, guess where they are manufactured? And guess who are major shareholders in the company that makes them? You can wrestle with a hog as long as you like, but unless you get control of its head, all it will do is get you to wallow in the mud with it. So it iOS with crime. Unless you get control of the top criminals, the stench will be everywhere.

Posted 16 April 2021, 10:11 a.m. Suggest removal

trueBahamian says...

Didn't Marvin Dames say last year how great a job the police did in lowering the crime stats? What happened this year Marvin?

Marvin took credit for lower numbers that came about as a result of Covid lockdowns and curfews. The police didn't do anything to impact those numbers. Given the murder figures now, we clearly beyond the crisis point. Marvin, the Commissioner and the PM need to articulate an actual strategy to policing. You can't simply say you going to increase your presence in certain areas. we paid for shotspotter. We paid for drones. Where are the results? We are constantly buying new police vehicles. We even have cars for the COVID ambassadors. Yet, things are spiraling out of control. Shame on you Marvin! Shame on you!

Posted 16 April 2021, 11 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

> “These are the monsters that we would have raised,” Mr Dames added. “These are nobody’s kids but ours. We have brought them into this world.

“The Commissioner is 1000 percent correct. It’s time for us now to play our respective roles as parents and as family members.”

Whenever these killings happen, Dames and Rolle are all too quick to deflect blame to the public at large, the very ones they're supposed to be protecting, for their own gross incompetence and failure in addressing the ever increasing scourge of horrificly violent crimes in our society. I'm frankly sick and tired of hearing them always sing, as a duo, what I call the 'deflect the blame to the public' song in an effort to mask their own obvious inability to get a handle and grip on the many violent killings in our society by organized and well armed criminal groups. These types of violent acts involving high powered weapons invariably impact innocent bystanders, often in a fatal way.

For the record Mr. Dames, the vast majority of us had no role whatsover in raising the monsters you speak of, and, in speaking for most of us, they are definitely not our kids and we certainly didn't bring them into this world. And if you and Rolle are not up to the task of protecting us (the public you serve) by maintaining effective national security and law enforcement, then by all means step aside rather seek to deflect the blame for your failures or make lame excuses.

Posted 16 April 2021, 11:05 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

The commissioner is a lost and senile Uncle Tommy Boy. He also said people who commit suicide are weak minded. When there’s years of clinical evidence to show that suicide is not a one time event. Persons who eventually Kill themselves or attempt to do so, may have been tormented and battling with the disorder for years. Some are even afraid to sleep because they get dreams of suicide. The commissioner is not the brightest crayon in the box, neither is he the most informed. What is the purpose of investigating and charging persons with murder if the police are prepared and willing to do just as much killing?

Posted 16 April 2021, 12:27 p.m. Suggest removal

bogart says...

Fully agree Tribanon. This horrible mass killings of six persons happening since 1964, before independence of this nation, is indeed horrible and the salaried officials who have failed need to be replaced. Too many times we have heard on blaming the people, blame the education and other factors when there are the educated officials in charge and having an inability to get the job done. A full investigation by independent committee be done to find better ways to stop these killings by persons going around this small island with illegal high powered guns capable of spewing lots of powerful bullets over great distances ...mile plus? This is a national horrible event that needs action.

Posted 16 April 2021, 3:08 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

This was a planned, targeted precise execution. Not gang warfare. No one believes the police account.

Posted 16 April 2021, 11:16 a.m. Suggest removal

Clamshell says...

No one believes your ranting about Hillary Clinton and fast-and-furious, either.

Posted 16 April 2021, 11:18 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

They are documented facts. Easily verifiable. Go do some research. As a matter of fact there was a congressional hearing into the actions of the ‘fast and furious’ saga in attempt to find out what happened to the hundreds of weapons that went missing and who was responsible. And deny the fact that the most Blacks ever in the history of the United States went to jail under the Clinton Administration and got the longest sentences for minor crimes. And when they were released, they were better dead or back in jail. They could and still cannot qualify for even food stamps of housing assistance. In fact they cannot live with family or friends who are receiving housing assistance or food stamps. You hate to admit that there’s a race war going on in America and it is spilling over into this country and parts of the Caribbean.

Posted 16 April 2021, 12:22 p.m. Suggest removal

Clamshell says...

Research? LMAO. Hillary Clinton was never president, her husband was, +20 years ago. Fast and Furious played out years later, along the US-Mexico border, nowhere near the Bahamas. Not one of those weapons ever turned up here. So don’t lecture me about “research,” you flaming nutjob. You can’t get a single fact straight.

Posted 16 April 2021, 1:57 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

John is insane, no doubt there..

Posted 16 April 2021, 2:39 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

If that were true Hillary and Bill would be bonafide republican heroes....

Posted 16 April 2021, 2:38 p.m. Suggest removal

Clamshell says...

🤣🤣🤣

Posted 16 April 2021, 2:43 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

It's Marvin Dames and Paul Rolle who are failing us by not addressing the proliferation and ever increasing head count of well organized, well armed and well known hard core criminal groups. And Dames and Rolle know full well that a big part of the problem here is the involvement of corrupt senior law enforcement officers with known criminal elements in the dealing of arms and trafficking of drugs and humans. Both of them need to stop deflecting blame to the public at large and start doing their damn job to serve and protect the public at large.

Posted 16 April 2021, 11:36 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Not much social distancing shown in the photo to this article ;-)

Posted 16 April 2021, 11:46 a.m. Suggest removal

bogart says...

....er...apart for wearing masks and social distancing for Covid 19 protection these Police officers quickly responding to the shooting scene should also be wearing the bullet proof vests, especially seeing what the villians have done.

Posted 16 April 2021, 1:53 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Do you know the ‘ Russian AK 47 assault rifle ‘ that is seemingly becoming popular in this country is manufactured right in Florida? And do you know the company that manufactures these weapons do not indicate on their business license that they are a weapons manufacturer? And that a high ranking Russian official, among others, is a major shareholder in that company.

Posted 16 April 2021, 12:38 p.m. Suggest removal

Proguing says...

Where can I get one?

Posted 16 April 2021, 1:36 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Ask Cobalt

Posted 16 April 2021, 2:03 p.m. Suggest removal

One says...

Tell us who

Posted 16 April 2021, 4:55 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

You really need to ask? The trumpie will say Hillary or Bill or Obama. Lol...

Posted 16 April 2021, 5:09 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Or Soros... 🤣

Posted 16 April 2021, 5:10 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

When will our police force do some actual investigations? They know who these gang members are, how are these thugs allowed to continue? When will being in a gang be a crime in itself? After all these years the police can't figure out who imports these weapons and stop them? What exactly do our police do to earn their paychecks? Has anyone even bothered to ask for help? Or will we forever rely on poorly educated, poorly equipped, poorly incentivized police officers?

Time to get real. Obviously our Force as is has been an absolute failure in combatting crime. Time to get real...

Posted 16 April 2021, 5:02 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Oh yeah! Forgot. These idiotic roadblocks are not helping. We need more than that...

Posted 16 April 2021, 5:04 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

IT WAS VERY REFRESHING to hear A FORMER MAGISTRATE finally admit that the government and the armed forces in The Bahamas is greatly responsible for a lot of what is going on in The Bahamas today when they Joined forces with AMERICA and their FAKE WAR ON DRUGS. The war declared by Richard Nixon was Actually a war on BLACK PEOPLES and the police and the courts and the jails were (and are still) being used in tha country to war in this country. Obviously Marvin Dames is aware of what is going on and he continues to use the armed forces of this country to battle Bahamian people apparently at the behest of America’s racist agencies whose agenda is to destroy Black people and change the complexion of this country in particular. Now that the onion skin is being peeled back and the dirty ness and wickedness of our neighbors to the north and our own uncle toms, many whom are compromised and must bow to the US forces. A Commission of Inquiry must be called and those found wanting must face the same judgment they forced on many of the young people in this country over the past four decades. Dames must be removed from office and made to account for his efforts to build and not artillery against the people’s of The Bahamas and charged with treason for attempting to destroy the future of this country. He should spend the rest of his life in jail along with others who carried this war on for decades against The Bahamian people.

Posted 16 April 2021, 5:28 p.m. Suggest removal

Emilio26 says...

John actually Britain also declared a war on drugs back in the 80s and 90s.

Posted 16 April 2021, 9:03 p.m. Suggest removal

islandgold says...

John, you dropping some heavy lessons on this post. You are right on, especially with the analogy of the monsters and super-predators terminology. Impressive depth of knowledge on this subject. Who are you?

Posted 16 April 2021, 8:22 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

There's a good chance @John is none other than the infamous Jean Claude Duvalier. lol

Posted 17 April 2021, 12:29 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

Even more disturbing, there were at least 45 mass shooting in the U.S. in the last month!

The U.S. needs to issue a travel warning about themselves.

Mind boggling!!

Posted 16 April 2021, 9:09 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

‘ New International Version
Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.’. This first part of the scriptures has been fulfilled. Black people were brought out of Africa into America and The Caribbean, by The Americans, The British, The Spanish, The Dutch, France and Canada.. Not only were they enslaved but they were mistreated ion cruel and inhumane ways that continues, especially in America 100 years after slavery (legally) ended.

Posted 17 April 2021, 1:24 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

.
‘ But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth”. And so if the first part of the scripture is true, the second part must also come to pass. And this is what America’ (and some other countries that participated in slavery have a problem with. Not only that they (as a union or country) will be judged for their sins and atrocities during slavery, but the descendants of slaves shall reap great rewards. America, especially believes that Black people ) nations) will unite and attack their former slave masters. So ever since then, every single US president ( including Barak Obama). Met with their jJoint Chiefs of Staff to discuss war on Black people. Not only their own Black citizens but also countries like The Bahamas and Jamaica and Trinidad. The goal was to keep them impoverished as possible and prevent them from uniting. So plots like ‘the war on drugs’ and ‘the war on gangs’ and more recently ‘the war on illegal immigrants’ were all concocted to launch assaults on Black people. Haitians, for example, can make it all the way to the US coast, but they will be turned back and shipped back to Haiti or The Bahamas. Cubans, on the other hand, can be stranded as Far away as Cay Sal and the US will send the coast guard to pick them up and take them to the US. And it didn’t stop there. Immigrants who were living in the US for decades now foun their immigration status being questioned and faced the possibility of being deported back to their ‘home country’ some had never been to these countries before and at least never in their adult lives. America also emptied it jails of persons whose status were not regularised or who had committed serious crimes and deported them back to their country of origin. But these convicts, who had spent many years in jail were now members of the most notorious and most violent gangs in the world. And when they arrived in their home countries, in Central and South America and also The Bahamas, crime, especially murder escalated,

Posted 17 April 2021, 1:57 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

And so the police in those countries found themselves having to go to battle with their citizens. They were encouraged to arm their officers military style for combat. They were encouraged to use deadly force and to rid their countries of these menaces to society, these super predators, these ‘monsters.’ Criminals who are ‘dangerous and damaged beyond repair.’ So in most of these countries, including The Bahamas, there is a rally between the murder count and the police involved killings. But in either event it is at least one young Black male that ends up dead. And the headlines scream with words like ‘execution’, ‘bloodbath’ ‘deadly shooting.’ And they stand in the distance and say ‘I told you they were violent monsters.’ And travel advisories are issued against the country. And they want the jet ski operators off the beach and the hair braided too. The trap has been set and the economy suffers.

Posted 17 April 2021, 2:11 a.m. Suggest removal

BONEFISH says...

The Bahamas is a country with deeply rooted socio-economic problems. Crime is one of them.
Crime is a multi-faceted problem with many layers.

The first Hubert Ingraham government set up a commission to study crime. The Ingraham government also had commissions looking at youth and education. The Christie government started Urban Renewal. If the recommendations and policy ideas from those commissions were implemented properly along with a sensible ,managed urban renewal program, we could have been in a better position.

Posted 17 April 2021, 10:52 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

The problem with The Bahamas is that it t’ief itself socially, economically, politically culturally and otherwise to the United States. This country’s leaders and its people looked up to America as a big brother and was so dearly in love with America, they couldn’t see the havoc and destruction that country was putting on a certain segment of our people. Black Bahamians . The crime and the violence and the lawlessness are all imported to this once quiet, sleeping and peaceful nation. And it was all intentional. Now is the time to re-evaluate the situation. Time to end this fake drug war. Time to redeem our young men and stop following in the footsteps of the US and killing them and criminalizing them only for the color of their skin. Time to renovate our tourism industry and rebuild it around our people , our culture and our needs and stop allowing foreigners to take the entire market. Stop letting foreigners and foreign countries dictate to their needs and exclude Bahamians from their own economy whilst they come here and grow rich overnight. The Bahamas is the most pandering nation among all the countries in the Caribbean. Jamaica stood up to America and its FAKE drug war by refusing to sign their extradition treaty. That country suffered dearly for it but it survived. Jamaica went ahead and legalized small amounts of marijuana and its tourism rebounded, less of its young people ended up in jail or murdered and its crime decreased. Why are we trying to build a Bahamas that is not for Bahamians?

Posted 17 April 2021, 12:52 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

At least those of us posting to this website know who the Communist China troll is for USA bashing. lol

Posted 17 April 2021, 4:46 p.m. Suggest removal

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