Residents React to Airport Road murders

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, November 10, 2023 – Exhaustion, frustration, anger and concern are the emotions residents are expressing following the public murder of two more young men, one of them as young as 19.

Some residents want more from the authorities rather than repeated condolences after violent attacks. In response to a statement from the police on the deaths one resident penned this response:

“With all due respect to the (new) Governor and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, we keep hearing the same message “we condemn violence”, we are “taking every action”…and yet, these shootings keep happening and are becoming even more brazen in locations where there are more potential innocent bystanders, tourists and locals, who are going to get hurt. It is only a matter of time before an innocent person becomes a victim.  This is a tiny island!  How does this continue to go on…for years now and it’s escalating and getting worse. It’s a sad sad time for the island.  This should not be acceptable on this beautiful piece of nature.  Roll in tanks and shake these people out!!! For your people, your island and the people who come to support the economy and share in its beauty.”

“Hearts continue to break from the continued loss of a generation of our young men. Make it stop!!! PLEASE,” Another resident said.

The cries were in response to a shooting on airport road, just steps away from the Providenciales International Airport, which left two men dead in the street and another scrambling into the airport covered in blood.

The deceased are Jumillo Isma aged 24 and Mike Forbes aged 19.

Other residents called for better overall policing.

“Where [are] the cameras at the airport?” One person asked, while another said “The RT&CIPF needs to start investigating how these weapons and ammunition are entering the country.”

It must be noted that the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force has established a Guns and Gangs Unit to investigate this process.

“Who is doing the profiling..modus operandi in practice..Where is our crime analysis?” Another resident questioned in a social media post.

Other residents warned that with the country’s high dependence on tourism, continued incidents like this with bloodied men running into airports and heartless shootings, the country’s leading revenue source “could tank!”

Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, TCI Governor and Washington Misick, TCI Premier in a joint statement expressed outrage at the incident and promised beefed up patrols.

So far no one has been arrested for the double killing.