Crime
Murder in Broad Daylight; down town shooting with innocent public meters away
By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, November 21, 2022 – A disturbing trend of deadly threats recklessly endangering innocent residents emerged again this weekend both over social media and in person highlighting behaviour that can only be described as unhinged.
“…there was an incident here where four people have received gunshot wounds. What we believe happened at this stage, is the car has come to the premises, the car wash adjacent to the building behind me and attacked a number of people resulting in the four people being injured,” said Trevor Botting, TCI Police Commissioner in a report from the active investigation scene, also on Saturday November 19.
The Commissioner was earnestly trying to allay fears that the shooting happened at the sporting facility where two inter-high school tournaments were underway. In fact, dozens of schoolchildren from several softball and basketball teams were uncomfortably close to the line of fire when what was supposed to be a fun competition turned into a scene of pure panic.
The Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex was filled with basketballers and parents on the inside and softballers and more supportive fans on the outside. Despite the scene being chock full of children just metres away, gunmen, at a nearby business on Airport Road, opened fire in a careless barrage which injured three adults and killed another.
“At the time of this incident, there was a sports event for young people taking place. The incident was somewhat spilled into, because two of the injured people ran into the sports center which caused some panic. I just want to
reassure the public, that there were police officers on duty at the sports event who quickly got control of the scene and understood what was going on. To be clear, there was no incident at the sports center. Some injured people ran to it, to get away from the persons that were attacking them,” explained Botting in his video.
The games were abruptly ended, out of the abundance of caution said Botting.
It not only exposed the students in the area to what could have been lethal force but exposed some of them to what must have been a highly traumatic scene as armed police swarmed the scene and both men were wheeled away bleeding heavily.
“Supervised by police officers, parents came to pick up their children… I understand it would have caused some panic, I get that they would have heard the gunshots from the location of the shooting but I am grateful to the staff who were managing the event and to the officers, who were at the center who brought calm and safety to the people involved.”
This is the second incident in as many weeks that has occurred at the gym the first saw one teen stab another sending him to the hospital. Among the differences between the two incidents were the security protocols that were quickly implemented this time, locking down those on the inside of the basketball court. Unfortunately the students on the softball field were left exposed and our reports indicate shots were heard uncomfortably close to the bleachers.
The shooting occurred less than 24-hours before the world celebrated World Children’s Day.
The constant murders have once again made international headlines with Fox News reporting that murders are surging just before the winter tourist season begins in earnest describing it as shocking.
A frightful headline for the islands which are so heavily reliant upon tourism.
Meanwhile, over on social media murder threats continued to be hurled at residents who responded to the wanted posters in three languages offering a ten thousand dollar reward for information regarding suspected murderer Brandon Rahming; even an advocate attorney was not spared a bone-chilling threat.
Shocking was the silence by TCI Police on the death threats which were made on their Facebook page. However, the comments from the user, Brandon Lee seemed to have been scrubbed from the posts.
On Friday, Magnetic Media reported that the threats were coming from a Facebook user with the profile name Brandon Lee. Hours later a user with the profile name “Real Shotta Certified” continued the threats this time even more pointed, promising not only murder but a slew of killers.
[SIC] “I’m screenshotting ya name and will ask about you. I think you wanna die. If Brandon goes killers will turn up more watch . It’s like 20 men ready to die ready for war if Brandon goes.”
The user who did not have a profile picture attached told one resident.
The user continued even threatening law enforcement, [SIC] “If Brandon go, watch how many killers pop up in support of him. Lol one of us can handle 10 police by self so figure it out” they said.
So far, despite the $10,000 reward, police have not managed to find the man they describe as a “gang leader”.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – In response to a deadly surge in gun violence, Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey on
Monday morning formally briefed the Honourable Premier Charles Washington Misick and Her Excellency Acting Governor Anya Williams on two recent murders and the broader security crisis engulfing the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The high-level debrief followed a harrowing week which reports indicate brought the murder count for 2025 to 15 people, including what was described as mass shooting where as many as four men were struck with bullets. The Commissioner provided an update on the nature of the week of homicides, the current status of investigations, and the coordinated response measures being implemented by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF).
Both the Premier and Acting Governor pledged full support to the Commissioner and the RTCIPF, as the country grapples with a level of violence that has deeply shaken residents and visitors alike.
“The Government remains deeply committed to strengthening public safety and enhancing the resources available to law enforcement,” read a statement issued following the briefing.
As part of this commitment, 40 specially trained officers from across the region have recently completed orientation with the RTCIPF and
are now operational. These reinforcements are expected to support ongoing investigations and bolster the national policing strategy.
Among the recent incidents:
- A young man was shot and killed in Five Cays on Saturday (May 24) afternoon. Police reported receiving a call around 2:58 p.m. about gunfire near a local religious institution. Officers arrived to find a male victim lying motionless with apparent gunshot wounds. His death is being treated as a suspected homicide.
- One of four men shot earlier in the week in Kew Town succumbed to his injuries, raising the death toll from that mass shooting.
As investigations continue, the RTCIPF is urgently appealing to the public for any information that might assist. Witnesses or anyone with
relevant knowledge are encouraged to report to the nearest police station, dial 911, contact the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.
Commissioner Bailey, who was confirmed as the Turks and Caicos Police Commissioner in a ceremony on Friday April 25, has vowed that the RTCIPF will not relent in its pursuit of justice and community safety. Public concern has been growing as the scale and brazenness of violent incidents increase. Community leaders and residents are demanding a stronger and more visible police presence in hotspots, as well as urgent interventions to address the root causes of gun violence.
The police force has pledged to issue further updates on investigations and arrests in the coming days.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: ROBERTO YACINTHE, age 33 was shot on Saturday (May 25) in the Blue Hills community. He was an employee of the Alexandra Resort.
2nd insert: Crime scene in Five Cays
3rd insert: Flex Baptiste, 32 died on Friday. He was shot on Wednesday.
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