***MEDIA RELEASE***

July 05th, 2024.

The Serious Crimes Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force has launched an investigation into the tragic shooting death of a male resident in Five Cays this evening.

Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred shortly after 7:00 PM.

The 38-year-old victim was at his home located along Five Cays Road when a lone gunman approached and shot him.

RT&CIPF officers and emergency services were promptly dispatched to the scene, and the victim was rushed to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for treatment.

The victim succumbed to his injuries shortly after 8:00 PM. The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.

Residents of Five Cays and surrounding areas are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or information about the incident to the RT&CIPF.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the closest police station, 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to provide any information anonymously.

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app to share information.

Danae Dennie

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, July 5, 2024 – “There are 14 mapped criminal gangs in TCI” said TCI  Superintendent Dean Holden, Head of the Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit.

In a press conference on June 24, 2024, the RTCIPF shared information on traffic arrests, migration mitigation issues as well as their plans to stop crime, after the four deadly killings that took place within 24 hours of each other and the two traffic deaths.

Superintendent Holden shared that the 14 mapped organised gangs are only the ones that they know of but there is possibility for there to be more.

“..that’s as far as we know so, unfortunately I’ve known that we probably have more organised crime groups operating. We need to really humble around the extent of our intelligence… we need people to support us around that”.

When asked about the ages of these gang members, Superintendent Holden said “The profiles for our gang members are usually males between the ages of 18 and 26. Now, that’s not to say that there are not people outside those ages.”

Holden says these gangs are commonly located in Dock Yard, Blue Hills and Five Cays.

According to Holden some of the murders that happened last year were undoubtedly a dispute between gang members from the Dock Yard area and Five Cays. One of these gangs has now been disbanded from the Five Cays area and the other gangs’ members have been remanded for conspiratorial offences that are fire-arm related.

When asked about how firearms are getting into the country, Holden said “when we have an illegal migrant vessel coming from Haiti it is not only carrying individuals… but it’s probably also carrying criminals and probably contraband as well as firearms, in particular ammunition”.

The RTCIPF has set a National Intelligence requirement for all partner agencies to provide information surrounding these crimes

When speaking on the effectiveness of the Gun amnesty, Holden says personally “anybody who gives up their gun usually gives it up because they know it’s not involved in criminality. If it is involved in criminality, my concern then is , if we are saying to people you can give up that gun without any sort of police investigation. If that firearm is linked ballistically to murders or other serious crime, where do we stand? So I have a personal concern of  its effectiveness.”

“The vast majority of the illegal firearms entering the Caribbean space seems to be disproportionately coming from the US” said Commissioner of Police Edvin Martin

“A lot of the weapons that are arriving in the Caribbean region are actually being perpetuated by individuals who are from the respective domestic states and sending them out as well…… there are persons from our state… that are a part of the apparatus of sending firearms to us and causing the significant evil that it is causing us”.

As it relates to the issue of capacity, Martin said, “ the RTCIPF, is trying to build capacity within the force through training , the development of resources both vehicular, mechanical as well as manpower resources to be able to combat the situations that we are approaching at this time”.

Danae Dennie

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, June 25, 2024 – The Turks and Caicos Islands has experienced four murders within the last 24 hours, raising the murder toll to 19 for the year and during a press conference held on Monday, Police Commissioner Edvin Martin called it, “horrific.”

The latest murder took place in Blue Hills, Providenciales on the evening of Saturday, June 22.

Preliminary reports state that the Police Control Room received reports of gunshots being heard at a location along Bay Road shortly after 9 pm. Police and medical personnel were dispatched, and officers discovered the body of a male.

The 40–year–old victim was rushed to a medical facility for treatment and succumbed to injuries. He has since been identified as Dieuseil Eugene.

Homicide detectives are also actively investigating a murder in Five Cays, Providenciales.

Shortly after midday, also on Saturday June 22nd, the Police Control Room received several calls stating that gunshots were being heard in the area of the Community Center.

RTCIPF officers responded to the given location and found the lifeless body of a male with what appeared to be gunshot wounds about the body.

Police have not yet identified the man, but civilians confirm the man gunned down in Five Cays was Robert ‘Black’ Jackson, well known to the community.

Mere hours before, Police were chasing leads in a double murder; the gun killings were recorded on June 21st 2024.

At 11pm, the RTCIPF discovered the lifeless body of a male victim in the area of Rainbow Gardens in Blue Hills, Providenciales. Another man caught in the spray of gunfire was immediately taken to hospital but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after 5 a.m, informed TCI Police.

The carnage of Friday and Saturday took the murder count for 2024 to 19.

Commissioner Martin encourages the public to cooperate with the investigation and share any information related to the incident. He highlights that the public’s assistance is crucial in having justice served.

“Colleagues, we are now up to 19 homicides for the year.  While one homicide is one homicide too much, I wish to indicate that if any particular country over 100,000 crosses 10 homicides, it is considered to be critical or high.  At this point in time, the situation as it exists in the TCI is one that is very concerning.  I therefore look forward to continued public support that will help us improve our operations on the ground, particularly as it relates to community policing,” said Commissioner Martin, who has been on the job nine weeks, having been sworn in on Monday April 22, 2024.

These crimes are still being investigated and the  RTCIPF is asking anyone with information that may help in this investigation to contact the closest police station, 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 8477 to provide any information anonymously. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app to share information.

Photo Captions:

Header:  Murder scene after shooting death of Robert ‘Black’ Jackson, killed in Five Cays.

1st insert:  Police in Blue Hills investigate the fourth shooting in under 24 hours; the man died at the scene.

2nd insert:  Double homicide in Rainbow Gardens, Blue Hills

(Wilkie Arthur photos)