Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage said he finds the recent spate of killings on the island of Grand Bahama “rather unusual.”

The minister said as much to reporters yesterday after being asked about the recent increase in crime on the island which recorded three homicides in less than three days, one of which included the shooting death of 15-year-old girl.

“Grand Bahama is well policed,” Dr. Nottage said. “If you look at the nature of those incidents and where it happened, the question will rise as to whether the mere presence of police could have stopped them. The point I would like to make is that we have a well-run organisation in Grand Bahama and they will make the adjustments that are necessary to respond to the incidents that we had over the weekend.”

Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade insisted that the crime situation is under control in Grand Bahama.

He also commented on the social conversation now brewing about the Alexis Smith, the 15-year-old girl who was gunned down at a night club in Grand Bahama.

Commissioner Greenslade told reporters Tuesday that he would never lie and pretend as if he does not know many under aged children get into bars and nightclubs.

He said it is something that has been going on for years on many islands, but would take a community effort to get rid of.

“That is not a secret,” he said. “It is well known to all of us. It just happened that one incident now brings it into focus. But it’s a much bigger conversation. Our country’s children will never learn respect if we continue to show disrespect for people in leadership in this country. At every turn we open our mouths so many of us are so eager to spew venom and disrespect at them.”

Smith was shot twice in the head by her alleged 26-year-old boyfriend Sunday morning.

Her murder was the first of three within a period of 36 hours on the island of Grand Bahama.
Leonardo Pierre, 23 was killed early Monday morning inside the Boom Boom Room, just a few hours before another man was gunned down in the exact same location.

Officer responsible for Grand Bahama Assistant Commissioner Emerick Seymour said in that incident, masked men walked up to a group of others and opened fire, killing the victim and wounding another.

“Initial investigations of the police suggest that individuals in an area in “The Ghetto” when they were approached by three armed and masked men,” he said.

“The men then opened fire on the group, which resulted in one of men in the group being hit fatally and another was hit in the leg and transported to the Rand Memorial Hospital.”

Police in Grand Bahama have four men in custody for all three murders.

Yesterday officers conducted a walk about in the area where those three murders occurred known as “The Ghetto” to ensure that residents feel safe.