A suspect accused of shooting a police reservist to death during a botched robbery has been arrested, police have confirmed.

The 28-year-old Joe Farrington Road was arrested at home yesterday.

The 55-year-old police reservist, who has still not been identified, was shot outside the Super Wash Laundromat on Prince Charles Drive on Thursday.

According to official police reports, three men in a silver Toyota car drove up next to the victim, who was in the Laundromat’s parking lot at the time, and opened fire.

The incident occurred at 8:20 p.m.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he died.

Police are now searching for two other suspects.

The country’s homicide count now stands at 61.

Police also caught a detainee, who shot a police officer in the neck early Saturday morning.

The Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) had to be placed on lockdown following the incident.

Twenty-five-year-old Matthew Street, Nassau Village resident Reginald Chase was brought to the facility for medical treatment when he allegedly shot the officer.

According to the authorities, the armed officer was escorting Chase to PMH’s Radiology Department when he – the suspect – asked the officer to use the restroom.

But when the officer honoured Chase’s request and removed his handcuffs, he was attacked, disarmed and then shot, police said.

The officer was later transported to Doctors Hospital for medical treatment.

A special team of officers deployed to find Chase, who was already in police custody for armed robbery, later captured him on Bimini Avenue.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Leon Bethel, Chase was arrested around 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

The officers found the police officer’s weapon, which the suspect allegedly used to shoot him, in a bushy area.

Noted surgeon Dr. Duane Sands heads the officer’s surgical team.

“This young officer unfortunately was very seriously injured. He sustained among other injuries, a gunshot wound to the left neck. The bullet was later lodged and remains lodged in his right chest. He required a number of surgical procedures to be performed and at this point in time he is listed in critical condition in Doctors Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” Dr. Sands said during a news conference at the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) head office in Centreville Saturday afternoon.

Dr. Sands told the media that it is possible that the officer – whose name has not been released – will require further medical treatment.

“The patient is stable at this point in time. I also want to say that in speaking with him throughout this ordeal that we should be extremely proud of the young men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) who put themselves in the gap to ensure the protection of the public every single day,” he said.

But quickly concerns and many questions about the general safety of patients at the state-run hospital were raised.

Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez insists he will do everything in his power to prevent a repeat of Saturday’s events.

“The events of [Saturday] are something the Ministry of Health will be paying significant attention to,” Dr. Gomez said as he explained that the incident has been very difficult for the staff of the Accident and Emergency Department and the adjacent areas.”

Subsequently, the minister said enhanced security measures, not only in the Accident and Emergency Department, but throughout the hospital, are actively being addressed.

Dr. Gomez said his ministry is prepared to work closely with the Ministry of National Security to ensure that events like these never happen again.

“I regard this as extremely serious and I will do everything in my power to prevent [incidents like this] from occurring again,” he said.

ACP Bethel said he has already been given a mandate by Commissioner Ellison Greenslade to ensure the protection and orderly operation of the country’s main healthcare facility.

“As of this moment, we have placed two well-armed and trained officers to provide security at the Princess Margaret Hospital. They will work hand-in-hand with the present security system in place at the hospital,” he said.

This will be further enhanced and will be extended to all other areas of the hospital, Mr. Bethel said.

According to Mr. Bethel, this new 24-hour police security detail is now permanent. And while this might be so, some PMH staff members are still left traumatised.

According to the health minister, counselling was immediately given to staff members affected by the incident.