By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Digital Editor

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip Davis underscored the need for a "reset of our young people's minds" as he condemned the recent murder of a young father and others.

Mr Davis told reporters that his administration was doing its best to address the surge in violent crime, and pointed to efforts to ensure that youth were significantly engaged to discourage "idle hands".

"My heart goes out to the family of the deceased," he said. 

"The senseless killing that's going on, it's unacceptable. We're doing our best to curb this vicious crime. It really requires a reset of our young people's minds and to appreciate that there is a lot here, a lot of positive things that we can do, that they ought to be engaging themselves in."

Mr Davis continued: "We have to ensure that we don't have that many idle hands around because idle hands are the work of the devil we are working assiduously to ensure that we have everyone engaged with our young men and women."

The prime minister spoke on the sidelines of the annual National Conclave of Chambers of Commerce in The Bahamas at Margaritaville Beach Resort.  

His comments come in the wake of the recent killing outside a Superwash on Baillou Hill Road on Thursday night and the earlier death of Carlos Joseph, who was shot and killed on Tuesday while holding his eight-month-old child.

The spate of public shootings have left residents and business concerned about safety and the effectiveness of crime prevention efforts.

Superwash president and former Minister of Tourism Dionisio D'Aguilar told The Tribune today: "We're all afraid, and we hope that something is done to bring a stop to this carnage that seems to be ravaging our island."