By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune staff reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE killing of Kenton Seymour Jr, the four-year-old boy who was hitby a stray bullet on Tuesday, evoked strong emotional reactions from leaders in the political arena as well as members of the public yesterday.

Kenton was in a car with his family in the West Street and Flemming Street area when armed men in pursuit of another man fired shots in their direction, ultimately hitting the child.

The young boy was taken to hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis expressed sadness over the killing yesterday, saying his heart goes out to the family.

“The heinousness of the acts that’s been committed on our streets has to stop,” he said. “I intend to get a full briefing in short order on these matters and again, the police have been very much engaged on the weekends with the attempts of disrupting behaviours such as these.

“For the time being, my heart cries out to the family. I plead to our people. We are killing one another. There’s no need for us to turn against one another. Whatever the issues, we need to be able to work them out. We appreciate the t of our country. We are doing our best to alleviate all the suffering and pain.

“There’s hope and there’s relief out there so let us be patient and let us deal with the issues that concern us the most. Call and speak to someone if there’s challenges and those who know something, say something so we could avoid what’s happening today.”

Among those expressing condolences yesterday were State Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, Seabreeze MP Leslia Miller-Brice and Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard and others.

Many Bahamians also took to social media to express outrage over the senseless murder.

In a Facebook post, Mrs Miller-Brice strongly condemned the killing, saying too many young people have lost their lives senselessly due to gun violence.

“I am broken by this news. We have been losing and continue to lose so many of our young people. Last evening, a four-year-old child took their last breath and will never have a chance to live a full life. I am broken. We must continue to pray for God’s covering over our children.”

For her part, Mrs Glover-Rolle said she was confident that police will investigate the shooting incident thoroughly and bring justice for the family.

“I commit to doing all I can to effect change that will cause for a social and cultural shift in our behavior toward one another,” she added.

Mr Pintard said: “I extend my condolences and those of my wife Berlice to Kenton’s parents Norma Smith and Kenton Seymour Sr, who are seeking ways to cope with this tragedy, and pray that God will help each of you to heal and find peace during this extremely difficult period.”

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands also weighed in on the murder yesterday, saying there needed to be a multi-faceted approach to tackling crime in the country.

“The recent uptick this week reminds us that no one can be assured of safety from random gunfire,” he said. “We should all be outraged at the death of a four-year-old child caught in the crossfire of warring gunmen.”

He also called on the Davis administration to do more to better protect Bahamians.

“Obviously, this Davis led administration lacks the sense of urgency and ongoing focus that the present critical social decay demands. We remind the prime minister that his first responsibility is the safety and welfare of Bahamians.”