By EARYEL BOWLEG 

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

COMMISSIONER of Police Paul Rolle said there is no information to suggest the police were in “any way involved” in the mass shooting that killed six men last Thursday.

In a statement to The Tribune yesterday, he said police are concerned about the “level of misinformation being perpetrated by persons making unsubstantiated assertions”.

“Our hearts go out to the families for their loss,” the Commissioner said.

“The police are concerned to establish the identities of those responsible for this terrible tragedy. There is no information to suggest that the police were in any way involved in this shooting and if persons have information as to who may be responsible, we ask them to provide information to the police so that we can have answers for the families.”

The six men were ambushed and killed during a brazen shooting at the intersection of Jerome Avenue and Chesapeake Road on Thursday afternoon.

The deceased are Renardo Bastian, also known as “Crack Teeth”, Travis Cooper, Maurice Pinder, Kendal Lord, Delano Smith, and Dequant Brown, according to relatives and close friends. The shooting came shortly after the men had been released from police custody for firearm possession.

Yesterday, Commissioner Rolle said police are checking area CCTV videos to determine the men’s final movements before they were killed. 

“The individuals were released from custody on an unrelated matter approximately two hours prior to the shooting incident and we are checking all surveillance cameras to try and determine their movement after being released,” he said. 

Some people in the area of the shooting have alleged one of the men was alive in the vehicle after the shooting and a video circulating showed one of the victims moving his hands to bystanders.

Ricardo McKenzie, cousin of Renardo Bastian, previously told this newspaper how he watched Mr Bastian take his last breath at the scene. Yet, Mr McKenzie further claimed when they tried to get medical assistance for the wounded man, they were denied help.

Yesterday, the Public Hospitals Authority released a statement in response to allegations that at least one victim was still alive when officials were on the scene. 

“The following steps as required by National Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) were followed, a scene size up was conducted and back up ambulances were requested,” PHA said. “Triage took place immediately on arrival of the EMTs to determine viability and order of treatment and transport. The first arriving team comprised two EMTs: one went to assess the female and child and the other went to assess the male victims in the car.

“All of the males were pulseless. One had agonal gasps which is not true breathing but a brainstem reflex that occurs in cardiac arrest. The female and the child displayed vital signs and were transported to hospital. The six males were pronounced dead at the scene. The EMS team that was dispatched to the scene of the mass shooting was debriefed prior to being released from work,” PHA said. 

When asked about the claims, Assistant Commissioner of Police Solomon Cash said: “I can only tell you that paramedics were on the scene. They examined the bodies… and they pronounced him dead on the scene.”

Asked if the men were released from police custody due to the Royal Bahamas Police Force not having enough evidence to charge them, ACP Cash replied “yes”.

He explained: “If there’s insufficient evidence for the allegation (they are) in custody for, then we release them (pending an investigation).”

A 19-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl—the girlfriend and daughter of deceased victim Delano Smith — were also injured during the attack. They are in hospital in stable condition, at last report.