A retired Water & Sewerage Corporation (WSC) worker was gunned down in front of a Carmichael Road home yesterday over a gold chain.

The victim, Ernest Hepburn, was shot to death as he sat on the porch talking with one of his friends.

Two gunmen walked up to the two men, snatched a gold necklace from around Hepburn’s neck, shot him multiple times and later escaped in a Toyota SUV, according to Central Detective Unit (CDU) Superintendent Paul Rolle.

When police got on the scene Hepburn, who was in his 60s, was still alive.

However, he later died.

The victim’s friend was not hurt during the ordeal and is currently assisting police with investigations.

Following the shooting several distraught family members, friends and former WSC colleagues were seen sobbing openly.

Faye Miller, Hepburn’s cousin, who said she raised him, could not believe what had happened.

She questioned why the assailants killed her cousin. She said they should have just taken the gold chain and left him alone.

Just yesterday former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Thompson told The Bahama Journal that the government needs to revoke licences for ‘Cash-for-Gold’ businesses, which he said encourages criminal activity.

Officer-in-Charge of the Carmichael Road Police Station Superintendent Wayne Miller, who was also on the scene yesterday, said the Iguana Way area is typically a very peaceful area.

Police have promised to beef-up patrols in the area.

“We don’t have any problems out of this area. But, we continue to do walkabouts. We have been promoting crime watch groups in the southwestern division,” he said.

“So far for this year we have implemented about 16 such groups and we continue to encourage residents to be their neighbour’s keeper, to report suspicious people, to report suspicious vehicles and hopefully we believe going from door-to-door we will get some inclination as to what happened here today, what vehicle was used by the assailants in this manner.”