Minister Responds To Friday’s Murder & Shooting

August 25, 2013

“A traumatic blow to two families and an outrage to the community…”, said the Minister of Public Safety Michael Dunkley, as he expressed his shock at Friday’s events in which Steven Iris was fatally stabbed and another young man was shot.

“This is a disturbing reminder of the challenges we face and puts all of us on notice that periods of relative calm can be shattered in a moment.”

The Minister continued, “Let me express our condolences to the Iris family as they struggle to come to terms with this sudden loss. And I wish a speedy recovery for the young man recovering in hospital after being shot.”

Along with Junior Minister of Public Safety Senator Jeffrey Baron, Minister Dunkley visited Glebe Road and Alexandria Road yesterday [Saturday] to reassure the community of the Government’s concern for their welfare and that of the families affected by Friday’s events.

“Statements and speeches have their place but nothing beats personal contact and so I want to make sure that the residents in these areas know that we are here for them and take on board their concerns.

“Bermudians are resilient people and so although we found people troubled by Friday’s tragic events they were also committed to solutions and supporting each other. Our walkabout was encouraging and I think appreciated by those we met.”

Minister Dunkley indicated that he had been updated by the Commissioner of Police and voiced his support for the intensive investigations now underway.

“It is very important that anyone with information about either of these two incidents contact the Police or CrimeStoppers. Justice will be swifter and surer with the help of witnesses whose information can help to bring some closure to the families of the victims. If you know something, say something.”

In closing the Minister added, “Many of us perhaps cannot understand such a stunning disregard for life. We do not yet have all the facts but one family has lost a son and brother and another is keeping a bedside watch on another victim of senseless violence. As we reflect on Friday’s events, let’s remember both families in our thoughts and prayers.”

Anyone with any information about either incident is asked to please contact police on 295-0011 or the confidential Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-8477.

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Category: All, Crime, News, Politics

Comments (12)

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  1. Luis Suarez says:

    So you know what to do MD, hardline. You need to bust a**es if you are getting elected again, cos the economy ain’t improving!

  2. Noway says:

    Minister Dunkley you don’t have to tell us things are bad we know things are bad is a depression everybody’s out of work or scared to lose their jobs a dollar buys a nickels worth, Gangs runnin the streets and its no end to it. We sit at home and watch the news while Tari Trott tells us we had 9 homicides 56 violent crimes as if that’s the way it’s suppose to be we know thing are Bad it’s worse than bad its Crazy it’s like everybody going crazy so we don’t go out anymore we stay in the house and all of a sudden this beautiful island is getting smaller and all we say is Pleaseeee just leave us alone in are living rooms let me have my TVs and my microwave and I won’t say anything People of Bermuda i dont want you protest i dont want you write to your premier cause i dont know what to tell u to write i dont know what to tell u about the Jamaicans and inflation of the Orientals and the violence in the streets but what i can tell you Nothing is going to stop until We All get MAD when we all Mad and understand your life has Value alot of this will end Mr. Dunkley you want this violence to end you only have to do 1 thing and that’s Get Mad.

  3. JAWS says:

    Minister Dunkley don’t ignore the elephant in the room. Don’t come to the public the year of the next election and say we going to work on this and that when it comes to crime. Their needs to be some harsher penalties put in place now. These punks are not scared of taking another man’s life. I have friends and family that would make these little punks look like girl guides selling cookies. No more blaming the PLP, UBP. You need to sit down at the table with Cabinet and pass some serious laws in the House.

    The only time you Politian’s will take this serious is when they target one of you. Lord for bide when that happens because this Island will be lost without guidance and we will make the World Press as the Devils Isle.

  4. Let me first share my condolences to the family of the Iris family during this most difficult time,and let me also share my prayers with those that are effected greatly by this act of violence. I am also praying for the young man who is listed in stable condition after the shooting, but I take a look at this story and looked to the minister of safety Mr Michael Dunkley and with respect,simply have to ask a few question at this point.

    Mr. Dunkley Bermuda is gone through a period almost like it is under siege and we have weather many great storms on our social and economic climate,and are still weathering the same storms to this day.

    I recall on many occasions during the P.L.P tenure when gunshots and, murders were seemingly taking place so fast and furious that it almost seem to be the norm to expect, but it was during this period that Mr. Dunkley you sat as the opposition and made many public comments and statement,that if you were in power we would no longer in Bermuda experience these hideous crimes as we are seeing, please before some joker comes on here to challenge me on time and place when this was said.

    Go and do your research and recognize I am not somebody as ignorant ask you may think,I take the words of my leaders very serious and I challenge you Mr Dunkley to try and twist the wording of what I am saying, on more then two occasions you told the P.L.P that it is a poor excuse for how they are going about handling these culprits.

    Well P.L.P is not at the helm any longer and guns are still being actively used in Bermuda, so one Mr. Dunkley how are they getting refills for ammunition still coming into our shores,why hasn’t the drug trade under your administration been slowed down,matter of a fact I will go deeper,the drug trade has stepped up it’s position and the drugs in Bermuda is now plentiful and going mostly undetected,this is why we don’t hear about major drug bust as in times past.

    the underworld has a power all to them selves with little or no power to stop them,from corporate Bermuda to our streets,and now that you are the minister you get to know some of what I am sharing in this blog,and that sir is facts,and this is why I say you had a lot of mouth on how you would shut this madness down when you were in the opposition,but now that you sit in the drivers seat you now recognize that your words then have little or no power now, because you are in over your head thinking you can take on the likes of something that has grown so big in this country.

    The only power you have is on the bottom of the totem pole where the gun shots are being fired out and you are responsible to help bring about a calm,when in reality the bigger picture is spiraled out of control to where you have no control.I said before and I will say it again your approach maybe good intent but totally wrong as it is still another band aid approach.

    I hope Bermuda that we will see the day that we would get real and turn this thing around and then the blood of young black males being spilled out into the streets will not have been in vain to the real bigger picture, in closing and without being bias, let a number of young white man get sot and killed or a few politicians I can guarantee we will see a whole different approach to how this government will handle things.

    • Wisdom says:

      @DUANE P SANTUCCI – I LOVE YOU. NOT YOUR WORDS. BERMUDA WILL BE ONE. PLEASE STOP THINKING WE WON’T. SIGHNED 29 YEAR YOUNG BERMUDIAN

  5. Concerned Citizen says:

    My popcorn is going flat…….waiting………

  6. Time Shall Tell says:

    Stop talking about it & start fulfilling your pre-election got an answer for everything speeches.

  7. Concerned Citizen says:

    Where are all those OBA supporters who attacked the area MP Roban for a similar statement? The OBA folk who, up until this very day, glorify in making violent crime within the black community a POLITICAL issue, as they have very little connection to the sufferation that many a family and neighbour is going through. If my people only knew the controlled madness that this really is………sigh

  8. Tick Tock says:

    See Odd Ball Answers even the sheep are starting to have little faith in their Shepherd to guide the flock. I think it’s time Craig the Puppet pop out of the Jack in the box to insure their is calm among the herd. The next leader of the OBA needs to take charge and stop staying home…

    Answer#1 Hello Bermuda I am not cut out to be leader of the OBA can someone tell what to do next.

  9. Django unchained says:

    So let me get this straight. The only way taxpayers can see and speak with an MP is for there to be a violent crime in their area. Allllllllrightyyyyyyy then.

  10. just saying says:

    I never saw my PLP representatives the whole time they were in…they got my vote though…and when I did try to reach them over a concern they never called back…infact the Cabinet office couldn’t reach them either..this is a social issue which sadly has been brewing for years …it’s not just arrived with the dawn of a new government so instead of making this political let’s start to work together…this poor little island is imploding…