EDITOR, The Tribune. 

As someone who lived on Step Street for over 12 years, the news of a mass shooting immediately filled me with worry for the people I know and love in that community. I couldn’t help but wonder who might have been hurt or lost. I reached out to my niece and other friends who still live there as I prepared to head to the scene.

My heart goes out to the families of the young men murdered in Fox Hill today. For residents, it wasn’t just the fear they felt as they heard gunshots but the worry of retaliation and the danger that innocent bystanders might get caught in the crossfire. These senseless deaths open fresh and old wounds for so many Bahamians still mourning loved ones lost to violence—many of whose killers have yet to be brought to justice.

The government appears lost, unable to act alone or work with community partners to stop the violence that’s devastating our communities. Their lack of coordination or urgency to address these tragedies is only fueling fear and anxiety about what may happen tomorrow.

This is not the time for paralysis. Now is the time for action.

1. Take a harder look at bail: The government must move with a sense of urgency to pursue the revocation of bail in cases where the accused is a clear danger to others, either based on their likely actions or the risk they pose as a serious target.

2. Speed up trials: It takes too long to go to trial in serious cases, especially for murder. Extraordinary measures are needed to make sure justice is served quickly so Bahamians can start to trust the system again. Nearly 200 accused murderers are out on bail—that’s a sign of a broken system.

3. Disrupt illegal activities: Drug houses, gun hubs, and other illegal operations need to be disrupted, monitored, and dismantled. These activities are poisoning the minds of thousands of young, impressionable Bahamians.

4. Come together now: This crisis requires urgent collaboration. Churches, civic groups, businesses, government officials, and private citizens all have a role to play. We must treat this as the crisis it is.

5. Restore public trust: People must be able to trust politicians and law enforcement so that genuine cooperation can be achieved - to put it bluntly, people don’t want to feel like they’re wasting their time sharing critical information that can help authorities prevent crime, or solve incidents after they occur.

Only action will reverse this worrying spiral of violent crime.

Michael C Pintard MP

Leader, Free National Movement

October 28, 2024.