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Did TCI Police wait 30 weeks to get serious about radical, deadly gang turf war?

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By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm

Editorial Staff 

 

#TurksandCaicos, October 6, 2022 – Questions are being raised about the timeline surrounding the flare-up of violence in the Turks and Caicos these last few days and whether earlier, strategic intervention could have saved lives and the TCIs reputation.  The genesis of the senseless killing spree stretches back to March 2022 according to Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor; 207 days or nearly 30 weeks ago.

On Saturday March 12, 2022 the Turks and Caicos was in the midst of one of the first crime waves of the year, Four robberies had been carried out the night before and a man was robbed and shot in the early morning, that man would later die, and when Gari Santi Charles was murdered around 6pm that night, the nations security leaders were silent.  There would be one more innocent man robbed and killed that week before a decisive statement was made.

Of the two innocent who were robbed and brutally murdered, Governor Nigel Dakin said, “It’s hard to find the appropriate words to express one’s heart-felt sympathy to those they leave behind nor utter words of sufficient condemnation to those who took their lives.”

Of Santi, not even his name was confirmed by the Governor or Police Commissioner Trevor Botting who both made extensive statements condemning the crime spree.  All the public was told was that Police had been trying to apprehend him on four different occasions and were unsuccessful.  Obviously,  the police had an idea of how dangerous this man was proven by the many failed attempts to nab him.

A month passed and another wave of crime, including shooting robberies and home break ins began in early April. On the week of April 5th, Five Cays residents were forced to endure days of unexplained shootings that culminated in one injury and an extension of the failed gun amnesty.  The police knew exactly who was doing the shooting, and said so in a statement on April 8th.

“Armed policing operations have been deployed in Five cays in response to this situation, both to push back against the criminals carrying and discharging firearms, but also to proactively target those who we know are responsible,” they said.

Three days later Randall Rigby Junior was shot by an officer in a planned policing operation on Venetian Road.  The police say they went ‘to arrest a suspect for serious offences of violence and firearms related crime.’  A firearm was recovered on scene and an officer was injured.  Rigby died in hospital that night, and the police indicated no further comment would be made.

Like Charles, Rigby was not named by the police and no gang related statements were ever made in regards to the two deaths.

Unbeknownst to the public, Charles’ death, and that of Randall Rigby would spell serious consequences for the country.  That is according to Co-Chair of the security council Nigel Dakin in a statement on October 3rd.

“Several months ago, two local gangs, and yes, there is a very significant local element to this, two local gangs lost their leadership.  One, extremely local, one extremely violent local gang leader was shot dead by police for resisting arrest.  The other, a Haitian gang leader, who the police had made four separate attempts to arrest in the shanty areas of Romi Yard, was killed by one of his own gang, before he could be arrested.”

Between the deaths of Charles and the statement made by Dakin this past Monday, 207 days passed, 24 more murders were committed, all but one of them were young men and all but one of them who died was shot to death.

Fifteen of the 24 died in a 29-day span between September 3rd and October 2nd.  Included in that tally are innocents who were resting on a Sunday morning, enjoying an island vacation, or just having a night out with friends.  It was only after that bout of extreme viciousness that Governor Dakin, who chairs the National Security Council along with Premier Washington Misick, made the tell-all statement to the public from Parliament.

“The vacuum and confusion this created, allowing a predominately Jamaican gang, with a relatively small footprint here, to reinforce from Jamaica.”

The gravity with which the statement was delivered was felt deeply by Islanders, but it  begs the question, how long have the powers that be had this information?

Was the issue raised with the Prime Minister of Jamaica on the Premier’s visit in August?

How long has the knowledge that Jamaican affiliated gangs had not only infiltrated the Turks and Caicos, but were expanding been in the hands of those with the power to do something about it?

The Government also obviously has some knowledge of the involvement of our own young men in the issue.

This is as referenced by Premier Washington Misick whose warnings on September 5th were a grim foreshadowing to Sunday’s murder of a tourist, who was killed by bullets meant for the tour operators.

Based on the fervor with which Charles was pursued, the capture of Rigby and the detailed statement on Monday, it is abundantly clear the police knew something.  And yet no immediate announcement was made of the  significance of these so-called dangerous ‘gang leaders’ to the public .  Nor were the deaths followed up with any significant, on record, anti-gang operations, and to date no successful gang related convictions have been reported.

Only in the past few days has Turks and Caicos been supported by the UK, with a tactical unit training team arriving on Sunday.  The governor said five had arrived on the day of a three person killing rampage.

The Bahamas, through its Police Force, would also lend manpower support within days of the address at the Legislature.

The Jamaican Constabulary Force is offering intelligence-led support as well, Magnetic Media has learned.

Meanwhile, it cannot be ignored that the Royal Turks and Caicos Police has acknowledged they are out of their depth and are calling in and grateful for reinforcements.

The question remains, why not sooner, when lives could have been saved and the onslaught of unprecedented crime could have possibly been averted altogether.

Bahamas News

Don Jr. Bahamas Wedding to Proceed Without President Trump

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USA, May 22, 2026 – Donald Trump Jr. is expected to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson this weekend in The Bahamas, but despite speculation surrounding the high-profile ceremony, the exact location remains tightly guarded.

Multiple U.S. media outlets report the couple selected a private island in The Bahamas for what is being described as a small, intimate Memorial Day weekend wedding with roughly 50 close friends and family members in attendance. So far, no publication has publicly confirmed which Bahamian island or cay will host the ceremony, though reports consistently describe it as a secluded and heavily private setting.

The secrecy has only fueled curiosity in a country made up of more than 700 islands and cays, many of which are favored by wealthy international visitors for destination weddings and luxury retreats.

On Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed he will not attend the ceremony, citing international tensions and responsibilities at the White House.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so.”

Earlier in the week, Trump had indicated he would “try and make it,” but acknowledged the timing was “not good” because of ongoing tensions involving Iran.

Donald Trump Jr., 48, became engaged to Anderson, 39, in December 2025 at Camp David after about a year of dating. This will be his second marriage.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Bahamas News

Over a Week Later, Bahamians Still Waiting on Full Election Numbers

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The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – More than a week after Bahamians voted in the country’s 2026 General Election, complete official constituency voting figures still have not been publicly released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.

While winners have been declared across the country’s expanded 41-seat Parliament, no centralized official breakdown showing constituency vote totals, turnout percentages, rejected ballots or margins of victory appears to have been published publicly.

The Progressive Liberal Party is widely reported to have secured 33 seats, while the Free National Movement won eight seats, according to tallies carried by several media houses, including the Nassau Guardian’s election tracker and other regional reports.

Still missing, however, are the underlying numbers which would allow the public to independently assess voter participation levels across the country’s 41 constituencies.

That absence is drawing increasing attention following an election already marked by concerns over long lines, advanced polling confusion, voter register complaints and questions about election administration.

Unofficial turnout estimates circulating in local media place national voter participation near 58 percent. If confirmed, that would represent the lowest voter turnout in modern Bahamian general election history.

Historically, The Bahamas has recorded strong election participation rates, with turnout often exceeding 80 percent in previous decades. But participation declined sharply in 2021, when official turnout fell to roughly 65 percent — at the time considered historically low.

Now, the Coalition of Independents says it plans to challenge aspects of the election process in Election Court and is escalating its criticism of the handling of the vote.

In a sharply worded statement issued to media, Coalition Leader Lincoln Bain announced the party will boycott the opening of Parliament, insisting the election was “flawed from start to finish.”

The Coalition claims the country cannot “celebrate ceremony while justice is ignored,” arguing that unresolved election concerns continue to hang over the legitimacy of the process.

Among the concerns raised by the COI are:

  • allegations of voter register irregularities;
  • claims that the voters register remained open after Parliament was dissolved;
  • accusations of vote buying;
  • concerns tied to the Pinewood constituency race;
  • alleged constitutional breaches involving undeclared government contracts;
  • and alleged conflicts of interest involving gaming operators serving in Cabinet.

The Coalition also referenced allegations surrounding criminal influence and drug-related claims connected to political operations, while calling for what it describes as a “serious local investigation.”

In its statement, the COI said there has been “no proper public accounting, no local investigation announced, and no Commission of Inquiry launched into these matters.”

The group is now demanding a formal Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the election and related allegations.

Bain said the boycott of Parliament is “not a boycott of democracy” but instead “a stand in defence of democracy.”

The statement further argues that Parliament itself must be protected from “corruption, conflicts of interest, criminal influence, and electoral fraud.”

So far, election authorities have not publicly indicated when complete certified constituency voting figures will be formally released.

And that delay is becoming increasingly significant because the missing data includes the very numbers needed to understand whether Bahamians truly disengaged from the electoral process in record numbers.

If unofficial turnout estimates are accurate, it would mean voter participation in 2026 either matched or fell below the historically low 2021 election turnout — despite The Bahamas recording one of its largest voter registration totals ever, with more than 209,000 people listed to vote.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Health

Grand Turk Residents Fear Norovirus-Linked Cruise as Health Ministry Approves Docking

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Turks and Caicos, May 22, 2026 – Residents in Grand Turk raised concerns last week after a cruise ship previously linked to a major norovirus outbreak was cleared to dock in the Turks and Caicos Islands days after passengers were reportedly denied disembarkation in The Bahamas over health fears.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak sickened 115 people — including 102 passengers and 13 crew members — during a voyage which ran from April 28 to May 11. The illnesses involved symptoms commonly associated with norovirus, including vomiting and diarrhea.

The outbreak became public on May 7 and quickly triggered concern across the region.

Authorities in Nassau reportedly refused to allow passengers off the vessel because of public health concerns connected to the outbreak.

That decision later fueled anxiety among some Turks and Caicos residents when the ship proceeded to Grand Turk on May 15.

Residents’ concerns were not without cause.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness often associated with cruise ships, hotels, schools and other environments where large groups of people share close quarters. The virus primarily causes sudden vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, and spreads rapidly through contaminated food, water, surfaces and person-to-person contact.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most healthy people recover within one to three days, but norovirus can become serious — and occasionally fatal — for elderly individuals, young children and people with weakened immune systems because of severe dehydration. While the overall fatality rate is considered very low, the CDC estimates norovirus contributes to hundreds of deaths annually in the United States, mainly among vulnerable populations.

The Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health and Human Services had said in a press statement on May 15, it believed the risks had been effectively neutralized before the vessel arrived in Grand Turk.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry said the ship had already returned to Florida, where passengers disembarked and “comprehensive sanitization and deep-cleaning procedures were completed” before operations resumed.

The Ministry also stressed that its Public Health Team maintained “close and continuous communication” with the ship’s medical personnel, Carnival Cruise Line officials and stakeholders at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre before approving the docking.

Routine inspections and standard port health procedures were also carried out, according to officials.

The Ministry further reassured the public that there were “currently no public health concerns” associated with the vessel’s arrival.

Still, the situation once again highlighted the delicate balancing act Caribbean nations face between protecting public health and sustaining tourism economies heavily dependent on cruise arrivals.

Officials are now encouraging vendors, taxi operators, tour companies and businesses to continue practicing strong sanitation and hygiene measures as an added precaution.

Residents were also reminded that frequent handwashing remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of norovirus and other infectious illnesses.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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