By Gerrino J. Saunders
Journal Staff Writer

The number of homicides in The Bahamas is one of the biggest concerns
when it comes to national security and a threat to the once largely
peaceful way of life in The Bahamas.
The Bahamas recorded 119 murders in 2024 which was an eight percent
increase from the 110 homicides in 2023, but lower than the staggering
128 murders in 2022.
By October of 2024 police reported that murders at the time were up 13
percent while attempted murders were down 19 percent.
So far this year, although the senseless killings and attempts at killing
continues to take place, the number of homicides as we approach the end
of the first month of the year is down drastically with five recorded
murders entering January 30 th compared to 21 murders in January 2024.
The year began with a much welcomed calm as the first murder did not
take place until January 13 th when a 27 year old male who was standing
with two other men outside a residence was shot to the neck and
abdomen and killed by a man who emerged from black American model
sedan and opened fire in their direction shortly after midnight on
Lakeshore Road off Tucker Road in the Big Pond Community.
The second murder for 2025 involved a double shooting on Catherine St.
Nassau Village on January 15 th around 6:30pm when a 31-year-old male
who was reportedly fitted with an ankle monitor, and his 33-year-old girl
friend were ambushed while driving their vehicle when another Japanese
vehicle blocked them and three gunmen emerged firing shots into their
vehicle. They tried to escape but their car overturned. They were both

shot but the female succumbed to her injuries. The suspect’s vehicle
was later found abandoned on a dirt road off Charles Saunders Highway.
The third homicide took place just last week on January 24 th outside a
bar on Cowpen Road east near Brian’s Way. Police say the suspect
pulled up to the business establishment and attempted to gain access but
was denied. He then returned to his vehicle and without provocation
shot the victim who was standing nearby before fleeing the scene. The
victim reportedly knew the gunman. Just yesterday (Jan 30 th ) police
informed the media that they formerly charged a 33-year-old male in the
Magistrates court with that shooting.
The country’s fourth murder for 2025 took place on Sunday outside a
home on Coopers Terrace off Kemp Road where three men including
one on a motorcycle seen on surveillance video, were talking when a
silver vehicle pulled up and three gunmen emerged and targeted the
victim on the motorcycle who tried to flee but was gunned down before
the three assailants returned to their vehicle and left the scene.
This shooting was also believed to be gang related as the victim was
known to police, but according to the Minister of National Security
Wayne Munroe whose constituency was where the incident happened,
the victim had changed his ways and was a positive presence in the
community encouraging kids to stay away from a life of crime and
gangs.
Hours later, in Finlayson Street in the Bains Town Community, also
captured on surveillance video, a group of four men were standing in a
yard near the road when a white vehicle pulled up and two gunmen
emerged firing shots in their direction causing them to disperse.
None of the men were injured, however a 23-year-old mother of three
who had just come from Abaco to have her baby in hospital four days
earlier and was not the intended target, was sitting in a vehicle in front of
the residence and suffered gunshot wounds. She was rushed to hospital

in a private vehicle but succumbed to her injuries and became the fifth
homicide victim this year, leaving family members including her mother
and grandmother on Abaco distraught.
In 2024 the rate of violent crimes in The Bahamas particularly murders,
armed robberies and alleged rapes gained international attention
resulting in U.S. and Canadian travel advisories to their citizens visiting
The Bahamas, forcing the government to go into damage control mode,
spending millions of dollars to offset the negative publicity.
In January 2024 Prime Minister Philip Davis introduced a five-pillar
crime fighting plan focusing on prevention, policing, prosecution,
punishment and rehabilitation, noting that it would take time for the
initiatives that fall under the plan to take root with results that can be
seen and felt by citizens.
While there have been incidents where murders were committed during
anti-social altercations and acts of passion, authorities suggest a vast
majority of the murders are gang related and fall under the category of
retaliation.
The government also introduced new anti-gang laws with the aim to
break up gangs by preventing the gangs recruiting otherwise innocent
young boys and girls.
As a vast majority of the homicides are committed using illegal firearms,
another focus of the Davis Administration has been to stop the flow of
illegal weapons coming into the country.
The government has teamed up with its regional partners including the
United States where it is believed a majority of the illegal weapon
originate to track down and prosecute individuals trafficking in illegal
firearms.

Also, during this first month of the year police have reported two
discoveries of lifeless infants which shocked communities in the capital.
Both discoveries were made on Saturday January 25 th . In one of the
incidents police alerted media around 5:45pm of the discovery of an
infant on Golden Isles Road. Police Press Liaison Chief Superintendent
Sheria King reported that the infant was in a decomposed state as she
opted not to give any further details stating that the incident is of
sensitive nature
Just minutes before that, police in a statement revealed that an
investigation into an alleged drowning of a male infant that took place at
home on Curtis Road, Gambier Village was underway…
Police say they were alerted of the incident after 11am on Saturday.
Investigators say the child was discovered unresponsive in a bucket of
water sometime after 10am. Despite attempts at CPR he remained
unresponsive and was transported to the hospital where resuscitation
efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.
Investigations into both matters are ongoing.