By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

AFTER two murders were recorded on Sunday, Bishop Simeon Hall lashed out against those who engage in “sanctified silence” by failing to report criminal activity.

In the first incident, police were alerted to shooting in the area of South Beach, Baillou Hill Road South, around 9pm on Sunday.

Arriving at the scene, police discovered the body of man dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants with gunshot injuries to his body. The victim, believed to be in his early 20s, died of his injuries.

A few hours later, the body of a 39-year-old man was discovered shortly after 11pm.

 According to police, circumstances surrounding this incident is unknown. Police said the victim, a resident of Flamingo Gardens, was found lying outside a business establishment, in Gambier Heights, with multiple gunshot injuries.

 Bishop Hall said the South Beach murder on Sunday was a “stone’s throw” from his home, adding that public outrage must be “greater than crime”. He urged Bahamians to collectively bring an end to the “internalising bloodshed”, as the country’s homicide rate is steadily rising.

 “The criminal element in our country must not eclipse public outrage and action,” he said yesterday.

 “Criminals are not from outer space, they are our sons and daughters. We produce the criminals, these young black men - we produce them. So collectively, each citizen must do his or her part to end this internalizing bloodshed.”

 The pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church appealed to Bahamians to report crimes in an effort to make a better country, adding that a stronger message must be sent to criminals to prevent repeat offenders committing offences.

 He called on elected government officials to become more creative in how they lead the community that “put faith in them”, saying some politicians fail to creatively solve problems within the respective communities. 

 “We need to call on elected officials to keep their pre-election promises and be more creative in how they lead the community that put faith in them,” he said yesterday. “Some politicians are not sufficiently creative to solve community problems, and we must stop electing them.”

While acknowledging that the next generation must be “saved”, the religious leader commended “white young men” on their behaviour, suggesting that the comparison in behaviour between “black young men” and “white young men” is due to socialisation.

 “How come white young men do not behave like young black men, is it that they have money?”

 He continued: “I don’t think it has something to do with money, I think it has to do with socialisation. We need to find a way and maybe we can even ask some of our white brothers to help us with what they do with their sons.”