Despite recording the bloodiest weekend in recent times where five people – three men and two women – were killed in separate shooting incidents in the capital, Prime Minister Perry Christie on Tuesday expressed optimism and hope that the country’s youth will turn the tide in

A customary, Prime Minister Perry Christie visited various churches within the Fox Hill community in observance of Fox Hill Day where school kids in the area perform skits, dances and songs and said witnessing experiences like that often renew his faith in young people.

“To come in to St. Paul’s Baptist Church and to share in the innocence that we have here with us and to see it being displayed and to feel it as you hear the singing and to feel it as you watch, think of 10 years from today, 15 years from today when they’re at college or university and they would be able to come in and tell us later on and continue this tradition.”

Mr. Christie went on to encourage the nation’s youth to work hard towards fulfilling their dreams and reaching their goals.

The prime minister was accompanied by other Cabinet ministers as part of that community’s annual celebrations.

However, this year’s Fox Hill celebrations were a bittersweet as residents are still reeling from the shooting death of four members of that community, Claudzeno Davis, Shenique Sands, Eric Morrison and Shaquille Demeritte.

While offering remarks Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell paid respects to those four individuals who were murdered on December 27 at Freedom Park and touted the government for their support or the community.

“Life takes twist and turns but we must no matter what do the things that make for peace and build up the common life,” he said.

“Today we mark Fox Hill day which we’ve been doing since the 1870s, today I just want to speak to some broader values which the investment the government has made in ensuring that this festival continues shows some values, those of faithfulness, discipline, loyalty and trust.”

He also donated a series of booklets to each church on the history, development and impact of Fox Hill on The Bahamas.

St Paul’s Baptist Church was the first of four churches the prime minister visited yesterday.

The others included Macedonia Baptist Church, Mount Carey Union Baptist Church and St. Mark’s Native Baptist Church.