By KEILE CAMPBELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net 

A CHILLING video showing a man being beaten by what appears to be more than a dozen men before being shot dead at Arawak Cay has gone viral as police investigate the country’s latest homicide.

The brutal scene unfolded late Saturday night in the popular Fish Fry area, where videos circulating on social media captured the screams of onlookers as men beat the victim. 

The man is eventually shown lying on the ground, barely moving as police lights near and a bystander declare him dead. A close-up of the man's face showed severe bleeding. 

Police said that around 1.30am, ShotSpotter Technology picked up gunfire near Arawak Cay after a fight broke out at a local establishment. During the altercation, one man was hit with an object, another was stabbed, and a third was shot.

All three were taken to hospital. The man who was shot later died, police said. The stabbing victim was listed in stable condition, while the condition of the third man was not known up to press time. Police said a 29-year-old man who sought medical attention has been detained and a vehicle believed to be used during the crime has been impounded. 

However, during a Sunday press briefing, Superintendent Keno Demeritte gave a different version of events, saying the shooting happened while the victim was sitting in his vehicle near the food stalls when a dark-coloured Japanese car pulled up and two men got out and opened fire. The reason for the differing accounts was unclear up to press time. 

Meanwhile, Commissioner Shanta Knowles said videos can interfere with investigations and cause further pain to families.

“It can affect our investigations as we are trying to gather evidence in these matters,” she said. “But we need to remind the public that there are families who are grieving, and it is certainly distasteful to circulate someone in a vulnerable state like that. However at some point the recordings help us investigate, but sharing these horrific videos hurts the family more than it helps our work.”

The Arawak Cay incident was one of two fatal shootings over the weekend. Police are also investigating the killing of a man that early Saturday morning on University Drive shortly before 2am. 

Officers arriving at the scene were told that the occupants of a Japanese-model vehicle had opened fire on a group of people gathered in a parking lot before speeding away.

One man sustained gunshot injuries and was taken to hospital by emergency medical services, where he later died. 

Commissioner Knowles also provided an update on a firearms seizure in Bimini, where police and Bahamas Customs officers recovered 14 weapons from a pleasure craft docked at a marina on the island last week.

She said several people were taken into custody during the joint operation, which followed intelligence about the vessel. One man is expected to be charged in connection with the illegal importation of the firearms today.