By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MAN became the country’s latest murder victim after he was killed outside a home in the Elizabeth Estates community on Thursday.

According to Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters, shortly before 6pm, police were alerted to a shooting on Mauritius Avenue in Elizabeth Estates.

Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive man on the ground with gunshot wounds.

Emergency Medical Services were called and later pronounced him dead on the scene.

“Initial investigations revealed that this victim came to the residence to return an item when he was approached by a lone gunmen who discharged a firearm in his direction, fatally wounding him,” ASP Peters told reporters.

ASP Peters said the victim appeared to be in his late 20s. He said there was no information to suggest that the killing was gang related.

When asked if the victim was known to police, the press liaison officer replied: “The victim in this instance has constitutional rights that would be guarded by this office.”

ASP Peters appealed for members in the Elizabeth Estates community who might have information to come forward to assist police with their investigations.

“We simply act on information and we depend on the public to assist us to solve these incidents because the reality is if they don’t come forward, it’s a possibility that a relative or even themselves can become another victim,” he said yesterday.

“So, if the members in this community know what happened, we simply ask that they come forward and assist us in solving this incident.”

Thursday's killing comes after a spate of murders over the past week. Five men were killed in separate incidents between last Thursday and Monday.

Police suspect some of the crimes are linked and are the result of retaliation between “rival” groups.

On Tuesday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames told reporters Bahamians had no reason to feel unsafe in the country, insisting police have the crime situation under control.

“I don’t think that there should be public concern about a gang war happening as you could see, the police are very much on top of that but these things are going to happen and it just speaks to how important it is for all of us to be playing our respective roles,” Mr Dames said.

Anyone with information on these incidents or any other crime is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.