'Weekend gun incidents are gang related' - Police

Statement by Assistant Commissioner Antoine Daniels:

“The Bermuda Police Service can now confirm that there were three separate firearms incidents during the past weekend.

• Shortly after 10pm on Friday 9th August 2013, police received several reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Camp Hill/Fork Lane, Southampton. On attendance police spoke to a number of persons in the area as well as consulting with on duty emergency staff at the hospital, but there were no injuries reported. Witnesses described two males wearing dark clothing, riding a dark colored cycle firing a number of shots in the area. Forensic evidence removed from the scene confirmed that a firearm was used.

• About 10.45pm on Friday 9th August 2013, police received several reports of shots being fired in the area of Parsons Road/Deepdale, Pembroke. As in the incident above, on police arrival at the scene, officers spoke to a number of persons in the area and again consulted with hospital emergency staff, but there were no reports of injuries resulting from gunshots. Witnesses described two males wearing dark clothing, riding a dark colored cycle firing a number of shots

• The third shooting occurred in the area of Cedar Hill, Warwick just before 2am on Sunday 11th August 2013; again there were no reports of injuries. However when police were searching the area they encountered a man under suspicious circumstances, who was riding a motorcycle and failed to stop for police. A 24 year old Warwick man lost control of his motor cycle and was arrested by police for firearms related offences.

Members of the community will undoubtedly be alarmed by these three separate firearms incidents that occurred over the weekend. Recently we have all enjoyed a relative period of calm; however the Bermuda Police Service continues to work hard to target those persons that continue to commit firearms offences. The BPS wish to assure the Bermuda community that full investigations into these 3 matters have commenced, resources have been realigned to assist with these investigations, while additionally providing reassurance to the affected neighborhoods through high visibility police patrols and home visits by our Community Action Teams.

Although investigators have not formally linked the three incidents, the evidence gathered thus far indicates that these shooting are gang related and not random.

Police investigators are seeking the assistance from members of the community in apprehending those responsible for committing these violent acts and are requesting persons with any information and/or who saw two males on dark colored motor cycles, wearing dark clothing immediately before or after these 3 incidents occurred, to please contact police at telephone 295-0011 or the Crime Stoppers Confidential Hotline at 1-800-8477 (TIPS).