By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander yesterday pledged to take an aggressive approach in the fight against crime, with specific focus on tackling gang violence.

During a press conference at the RBPF’s headquarters, the police chief warned officers “will take the fight to the criminals” to disrupt gang related activities and reduce violent crime.

Commissioner Fernander spoke after a 47-year-old man from Hospital Lane and four-year-old boy were fatally wounded in separate shooting incidents just hours apart on Tuesday.

The incidents were two of three shootings that occurred that day.

Police said the 47-year-old was walking in the area of South and West Streets after 5pm when two armed males exited their vehicles and fired shots in his direction.

He was taken to hospital by private vehicle but later died of his injuries.

Several hours later, a boy was killed by a stray bullet while he was driving with his parents on West and Flemming Streets.

“Preliminary reports indicate that child with his parents in the West and Flemmings Street area when they observed two males, both of whom were armed with handguns, firing shots at another male while running past their vehicle,” police reported.

“The child was subsequently shot and was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”

Police said the intended target for the incident – a 27-year-old man who was “known” to them - is now in custody.

“We are following some significant leads and I’m not just saying that out of the cuff,” Commissioner Fernander said.

“I have spoken with the investigators. We met a short time ago before coming over and I was briefed on the matter. We have an individual in custody who was being chased by the two young men and he’s assisting with respect to the investigations.

“Also, from CSI, we have officers who will be on the ground going door to door and we’re looking for footage and we have traced the area where the culprits came from and where they was chasing the individual.”

Meanwhile, in another matter, two men had to be taken to hospital after they shot each other during a heated argument in the Yellow Elder Gardens community. Both men are listed in critical condition.

Officers do not believe Tuesday’s shootings are connected.

“We now are looking at these matters as they continue to happen right within our communities. We have to take the fight to the criminals, and we will do just that to disrupt what is going on within our communities with respect to the gangs,” Commissioner Fernander added.

“We will take the fight to them. If we don’t, we will continue to move from one scene to the next and I believe it’s high time now that we do just that to disrupt what’s going on. So, we are asking and appealing to members of the public to please assist your Royal Bahamas police force as we continue to make safer communities.”

Many of the murdered victims or intended targets continue to be men out on bail, the police chief stressed.

He also warned people with loved ones involved in criminal activities to keep their distance to avoid “becoming a target”.

“Their rival enemies continue to go at them once they are released on bail. So, what we are doing on the police force is that we’re communicating directly with our legal department who represent the prosecution in terms of trying to keep these individuals behind bars so we will feed them the information so that they could present to court to assist in trying to keep them behind bars,” he said.

There has been a marked increase in homicides over the last several months.

In June, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe revealed there was an 18 percent overall rise in crime for the first five months in The Bahamas when compared to the same period last year.

To stem the rise of crime, Commissioner Fernander announced the establishment of a special anti-gang and firearms unit. He also promised to review gun-related legislation to levy tougher penalties for people found with illegal weapons.