By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

A MAN and a woman were shot dead while they were sleeping in a Montell Heights home yesterday morning.

Shortly after the incident, police arrested two suspects, one of whom had been in an argument with the male victim before the shooting.

The suspects are on bail on an armed robbery charge while the male victim — identified on social media as Kevin Andrews —was acquitted in 2017 of a murder that occurred during a home invasion in 2014.

Speaking to reporters about the incident on the sidelines of the New Year’s Day Parade, Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said the Royal Bahamas Police Force has a plan to take the fight to the criminals after a rise in murders last year.

 Around 3am on Monday, the male victim and an unidentified woman said to be his girlfriend were sleeping in a residence on Mantol Street in Montell Heights, when two armed men broke into the home and shot both residents multiple times resulting in their deaths, police said.

 “Both suspects are on bail for armed robbery and are presently being monitored via (an) electronic monitoring device (EMD). Additionally, they are assisting police with their investigations into this matter,” police said.

 Speaking about the incident yesterday, Commissioner Fernander said: “The male (victim) is known to us and he is on bail for a serious crime. We believe he may have been the target.”

 He also said: “You wouldn’t be able to prevent everything, this is Montell Heights. At this kind of hour they entered the home unknown to the persons inside the residence and they were shot and killed.”

 He said police have a plan of action to combat crime, which will be unveiled this month.

 The commissioner said in 2023, he plans to take the fight to the criminals.

 “We will not go into this new year the way 2022 went. We have a number of individuals who continue to commit serious crimes and get bail and in a matter of weeks they are back out, so we have a plan for that,” Commissioner Fernander said.

 “I want the Bahamian people to please support their police force as we move forward to make this year a prosperous new year and safer,” he said.

 Asked if this meant the police were working with the judiciary to ensure repeat offenders don’t get bail, he said: “In 2022, we met with our DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) office and with our minister put a plan of action in place, especially (for) individuals who are caught in possession of a firearm in a matter of two weeks we’re ready to go to trial.”

 He added: “I will address the nation with the year in review and we will let you know our plan, early in January, in another two weeks or so, we will be able to put our plan forward. So, we have a plan of action and I’m hoping for a successful year, good partnership as we move forward into 2023.”

 In 2017, due to insufficient evidence, Andrews was acquitted of the murder of Robert Cartwright during a break in and attempted armed robbery on October 28, 2014 in Blair Estates.

 Last month, Prime Minister Philip Davis addressed instances of alleged offenders being murdered while out on bail, describing this as a major part of the crime problem in the country.

 “Part of the challenge is, unfortunately, that most of the persons who are being extinguished in our country are persons who have had brushes with the law and being allowed to be out on bail,” the prime minister said.

 “And that is the challenge. Had they not been given bail, would we have this rate? You answer that question. If that’s where the target has been — and there’s no excuse for that and I’m not excusing that because any life means a lot to me and should mean a lot to you regardless of that person’s proclivity — but we have to have an answer for the retaliatory and revengeful killings that’s happening in our society.”

 More than 125 people were killed in 2022, according to this newspaper’s records.

 The country’s highest murder count was in 2015. That year, there were 146 killings on record.

 In 2021, there were 119 killings recorded; 73 in 2020; 95 in 2019; 91 in 2018, and 122 in 2017.