By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ACTIVIST Terneille Burrows is calling for authorities to prosecute the mother of the teen girl gunned down in her home for harbouring a criminal suspect, calling the act “egregious”.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander recently revealed that 16-year-old Davinique Gray’s mother was harbouring a fugitive at the time of her daughter’s death, adding that he was the intended target of the shooter.

The fugitive, Gamaliel Gray, was a suspect wanted in connection with the death of Gerrad Coakley, who was shot and killed at his residence on January 2.

“Harbouring a criminal is a crime and seeing the results of what that crime led to is even more egregious,” said Ms Burrows during a press conference on Tuesday.

“I agree that she must be grieving because if I was in her position I would be absolutely distraught and remorseful because we are all human beings and of course, we understand that, but at the end of the day the onus rest with her.

“It seems to be a culture of harbouring criminals and not going to the police with information, withholding information, that needs to stop and that has to stop if we want to see change. The gun influx in the country, high powered weapons, we have to crack down on that some way.”

With the country’s murder count currently standing at eight, Ms Burrows expressed deep concern about the uptick in violent crimes.

“We have a major issue of income inequality in The Bahamas and people that are not able to earn a decent wage are sometimes forced to consider alternative means of income and may resort to criminal activities of some sort," she said.

"Their frustration and helplessness become anger and violence.”

Ms Burrows continued: “The general feeling seems to be that we as a populace are less concerned about the spate of murders because many of the victims are people known to the police. The murder rate has been high for the last few decades, but in 2024 we are seeing unprecedented numbers, with no end in sight.”