A local pastor is calling on the families of murder victims to join with other grieving Bahamians and place the names of their lost loved ones on a memorial wall erected in their honour.

To commemorate the third anniversary of the memorial wall, New Covenant Baptist Church Senior Pastor Bishop Simeon Hall called on those families dealing with murder to add their loved ones names to the list.

Coincidentally, just as Bishop Hall was updating the media on this memorial wall, police officers were at the scene of the country’s latest murder.

“While it is negative, this certainly inspires us to do more than we’ve don’t before,” he said. “It certainly doesn’t make us feel good that the murderous spirit is so rampant in our land.”

“So, I want to call on everyone to let’s do all we can to undergird all the positive efforts to address the scourge of murder in the country.”

The blatant disregard for human life must become of immediate concern to all well-thinking Bahamians,” he added.
“A small percentage of our population ought not to hold peace loving, civil society hostage.”
Bishop Hall said from his observations, over the past several months there has been a noticeable decline in murders and serious crimes, a fact he said ought to cause all Bahamians to be hopeful and optimistic.
Bishop Hall said over the past three years, more than 120 families have placed their loved ones names on the memorial wall.

He is asking any other families whose relatives were killed to add their names to the wall and participate in an unveiling ceremony on Sunday September 16 at his church.

“Some people have been reserved in putting their names there and then there are some who just turned in their names of their brothers and other family members,” he added.

“We met a woman who had four murders in her family. How do you countenance something like that? We need all well-thinking Bahamians, regardless of politics and religion, to step forward and join causes that will help us to alleviate this problem we are in.”

In response to Tuesday’s murder where 61-year-old Ernest Hepburn was gunned down over a gold chain, Bishop Hall also spoke out about those Cash-for-Gold enterprises.

“It is clear that whoever is responsible for licencing those businesses now has blood on their hands,” Bishop Hall said. “Because these criminals are not only snatching jewelry and running, they are shooting people.”