Police Confirm Shooting Victim Paralzyed
At a press conference held this morning [Nov 29] about Saturday’s double shooting, the Police confirmed a rumour that has been flying about – the 40-year-old shooting victim’s injuries were so severe he is paralyzed as result of the shooting.
As Bernews first reported on Saturday, the victim sustained injuries to his head, and the Police confirm that one of the bullets severed his spine in the neck region. No further details on his medical condition were released.
Police stated that the victims were in a house in the area before the shooting, and the shooter[s] are believed to have traveled on foot. The Police would not confirm how many times the victims were struck by bullets, except to say that they were both hit by multiple bullets. The Police have made no arrests in the case as of yet.
The Police, while not saying the incident itself was not gang related, stated that “It is not believed that either man is a member of an identified gang.”
Around 5:30am on Saturday [Nov 27] Police responded to a confirmed firearm incident in the St. Monica’s Road, Pembroke area in which two men, a 44 year old man and a 40 year old man, were injured. The victims were rushed via ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where they were both in the ICU listed in critical condition overnight, before being listed as ‘stable’.
The Police are pictured below investigating the scene at approximately 6:15am on Saturday morning:
The victims were on a black Qingqi motorcycle bearing the number BS047 which was a stolen motorcycle. The Police are appealing for any information on the movements of this bike and the victims prior to the shooting.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. David Mirfield strongly encourages all members of the community to discourage any intended acts of revenge or reprisal saying “The cycle of violence must be broken so the community can be made safer for everyone.”
Hours after the shooting Acting Minister of National Security Walter Roban said “I was saddened to hear that gun violence has rocked our community once again, particularly as we approach the holiday season in earnest.” The Minister went on to say that “I want to encourage anyone with information to please cooperate with the Police investigation. Alternatively they can contact Crime Stoppers to provide information anonymously.”
Police continue their investigation, and are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with any information to contact 295-0011 or the independent confidential Crime Stoppers Bermuda hotline on 800-8477.
Update 11:50am: Police statements added from Assistant Commissioner of Police David Mirfield & Detective Chief Inspector, Officer In Charge of the Serious Crime Unit, Nicholas Pedro
At 5:30am Saturday 27th November 2010, the Bermuda Police Service received reports of gunfire in the St. Monica’s Road area of Pembroke.
On arrival at the scene, two males were found on Mission Lane suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. They were conveyed by ambulance to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where they underwent surgery.
The victims are a 44 year old & 40 year old male – both from Pembroke. Both men were seriously injured, with the 40 year old tragically suffering paralysis as a result of these gunshot wounds as one of the bullets traversed and severed his spine in his neck region. It is not believed that either man is a member of an identified gang.
An active investigation was immediately commenced with a team of officers from the Serious Crime Unit.
The investigating team understands that some persons were in the area at or immediately following the gunshots and are keen to speak with these persons, or anyone that has information that will assist.
The scene has been forensically examined, and indications are that a total of ten shots were fired at the scene, with both victims receiving multiple injuries. The forensic evidence is being processed and we hope to have early results on these tests soon.
The victims were on a black motorcycle bearing the number BS047 which was a stolen motorcycle. This motorcycle is a black Qingqi motorcycle, and we are appealing for any information on the movements of this bike and the victims prior to the shooting. The victims had spent a short time in a house on Mission Lane prior to being shot.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. David Mirfield strongly encourages all members of the community to discourage any intended acts of revenge or reprisal. The cycle of violence must be broken so the community can be made safer for everyone.
“The Bermuda Police Service is working hard to bring offenders to justice, which can be seen in the recent appearances of persons before the courts, with convictions in the courts in recent months for a variety of serious offences.
The public must trust the Police Service to bring all offenders to justice and it is only with the continued cooperation of the community to prevent violence and assist the Police in doing so, that this will be achieved.”
The Serious Crime Unit can be contacted on 299-8106 or anyone with any information can contact the CONFIDENTIAL & independent Crime Stoppers Bermuda hotline 800-8477 (TIPS).
Update 1:08pm: Two videos from the press conference have been posted here.
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- Bermuda Police confirm shooting victim is paralyzed | Bernews.com | November 30, 2010
Its pretty difficult to believe this is not gang related – even though it says above that “It is not believed that either man is a member of an identified gang.”
Thanks for that note as looking at it, that wasn’t the best phrasing on our part. We edited and clarified a bit
Sorry to keep posting, but here is a direct quote from the Police to clarify further: “The investigation is still in its early stages and while at this time the victims are not believed to be members of a gang, it is believed the incident itself may be gang related.”
The world is watching all of this. It pains me to say that the beginning of Bermuda’s death spiral has started. Bermuda’s reputation has past the point of “being at risk”…it has fallen, and if more is not done by the Community to halt this advancing disease, then it won’t take much to push things past the point of no-return.
All in all very sad for the continued rapid demise of Bermuda. We are balancing on the edge of a cliff and one more ‘event’ like this and we could be over.
With due respect J Q P esq, we are WAY past the tipping point.
Like when our useless politicians referring to any given serious state we’re in talk about us ‘being at crossroads’ … We’re WAY past the point .
Have been for a long time .
We’re well on our way down the slippery slope . We really need to get out of denial and face up to just how bad things are.
Stop tip toeing around with wishy washy remarks like ‘If we’re not carefull , one day we’ll be …’
We already are !
that is truly sad.
Ok, so if the shooters escaped on foot, SOMEONE had to have caught a glimpse of something. Gunshots are loud and startle people enough for them to go see what happened, and running away on foot isn’t exactly quick. Given that one of the men was paralysed, I would hope someone has the decency to at least report SOMETHING and allow him to know someone will be punished for ruining his life.
What an awful story.
at that time of the am??
yes, even then.
The victims were on a stolen bike. Maybe they stole the bike from a gang member?
There is more to this than meets the eye.
Two guys on a stolen vehicle, aged 40 years. Wonder if weapons were found on them…………………………..
@Truth is killin me & Terry – the bike was stole yes, from a gang member NO & secondly the victims are NOT game members (they are far frm perfect but they are not gang members) and NO they didn’t have weapons on them
sisterdaughterfriend,
The crime was committed by people that are using any excuse to bring Bermuda to it’s knees. It has been reported that 10 shots had been fired. Who the far from perfect black males steal the bike from? Stop insulting us!!!!!! Get the F–k out of your denial. Your response is a disgrace to the Black Woman. You just pissed me and a lot of others off.
@Dragging a Lure
Let me make this clear to you… I am from from being in DENIAL…and I have no problem facing truth and relate. The only person insulting you is yourself. Let me give you some facts that you obviously don’t have a clue about or you obviously can’t read properly
1. Yes they were on a stolen bike…allegedly stolen by one of them not both in Aug from Butterfield & Vallis.
2. One of the victims allegedly didn’t know the bike was stolen (yes tht does happen maybe not in your perfect world)
3. They aren’t involved in GANG activicty
4. The shooters were after somone else not they victims(they were in the wrg place at the wrong time)
5. The reason y they were there is irrevlant
6. The real issue is the shooting/gang activity in the island NOT a stolen bike
Now if you need to know anything that your obvisiouly small mind can’t handle let me know and I have No problem letting you or anyone else know who has a problem with my comment
sisterdaughterfriend,
I hope you shared that information with the authorities before you shared it with us. Especially #4. You appear to have a lot of information. Please don’t dig the hole deeper.
Excellent point made Dragging. Bermuda is indeed in denial and I think your comments to sisterdaughterfriend prove that.
You seem to know a few things about what went on. If you don’t go to the police with that information, you aren’t just part of the problem, but YOU PERSONALLY are allowing gang activity to go unreported. That’s on you.
@ Dragging a Lure ….I don’t think “sisterdaughterfriend” is trying to stir things up….if you look she was just answering questions posted from “terry” I’m sure that at the end of the day she is just as fed up as you and I about whats happening on the island…let’s have a healthy debate here instead of attacking one another about their comments/opinions…we are all unique and different so therefore we are going to think differently….name calling, cursing and “put downs” are not going to bring us any closer to a solution….@ the end of the day no matter what they did, and if it was because of as reported a “stolen bike” they did not deserve to be gunned down in such a manner…two wrongs don’t make a right…..
I appreciate what sisterdaughterfriend was saying, but I disagree on one point- the problem IS also about ‘just a stolen bike’. I’m only 43 myself, but I remember when shocking headline news was a purse snatching or a photo of a little bye noosing a lizzid (that caused quite a stir about cruelty to animals). It SHOULD be a big deal that they were driving around with impunity on a bike stolen in August. It’s the ‘petty’ lawlessness that leads to bigger offenses. Of course I’m not blind to all the other underlying issues, and I agree with sisterdf that this is tragic in that these guys weren’t gang affiliates, but let’s look at how we all fly in the face of the law. No one respects it, there’s very little respect for the police, there’s almost no respect or consideration for one another. It’s rampant in the terms we use to address one another, it shows in the language we use in every day conversation- ‘f’ this and ‘f-ing’ that, and it even shows in our driving habits- when was the last time you let someone into a line of traffic, or buzzed closely and quickly past a pedal biker to make a point that you somehow have more right to the road than they do?
I can’t do much, but I can be the change I want to see, to be trite and quote Gandhi. I can model better behaviour. Will anyone else out there? It’s not much, but it’s what I can do. I won’t cuss in conversation. No one is ‘my nigga’ (nor should be anyone else’s!!!- I cannot STAND that word). I drive at limit, using my indicators, and try to be courteous. I still say good morning and actually mean it. These aren’t hard things, and you may all shoot at me for being simplistic, but these things are together nonetheless a small and achievable part of this solution. Oh- and I also speak up when I see something or know something wrong. Respect, people. For yourselves, and for others. It’s not hard, just different to what we have been doing.
Taking out Draggin’s cuse words, his points are very valid. Sisterdaughterfriend clearly knows something about this and she has not indicated any willingness to share what she knows with the police. That in inexcusable.
Agreed, and especially with the availability of anonymous informant lines. Who else would know? No one. And you’d be potentially giving the police a lead. Doing your good deed for the day. But getting back to the cussing…is it really necessary to make the point? Draggin’ has something to answer for in that regard, and only perpetuates stereotypes that we’re all uncultured idiots with low intellect. And the ‘we’ refers to Bermudians…we really have to raise the bar.
Fed Up Bermudian,
Cussing in a manner that you feel is appropriate for the occasion does not perpetuates stereotypes that we’re all uncultured idiots with low intellect. I can name at least 10 world leaders that have been caught using the F word when they thought the mike was off and guess what? They were still in position the next day. No apolizies will be forthcoming for using that particliar word.
Um, no, sorry. Still makes them guilty of poor judgment and doesn’t excuse the word or its use OR the lack of respect, intelligence, or culture that it portrays. Someone being in a position of power doesn’t make them any better a human being than the rest of us, and doesn’t necessarily make them smart. You telling me that George Bush is intelligent and cultured because he was in a position of power? Seriously? Come on. Use better words, and own the responsibility of not having used particularly appropriate ones. That’s another big problem here, is OWNING what each of us DO. BECOME the change, model what you want Bermuda to be, don’t sit around cussing because it is NEVER appropriate. Those ‘world leaders’ to whom you refer…do you actually respect all of them? I have zero respect for Joe Biden, for instance. Because he’s in a position of power doesn’t make him any ‘smarter’ or more cultured than anyone else. Don’t let’s confuse power with propriety. The two rarely match.
Clearly you missed my point, clearly you’re one of those who doesn’t get it, and I suppose your preference is to denigrate yourself with use of such language and to assault the sensibilities of others. Swearing is used to fill a vaccum for those without manners or the ability to make their point in a more appropriate fashion. At least that’s what my momma said when I was growing up. VALUES, Dragging. THAT’s what we need instead of feeble defenses of inappropriate behaviour and speech.
Defend that, if you will. That’s part of the problem. How about just trying to do better?
Okay so the victims probably aren’t a in a gang. But two guys, on a stolen bike, in a trouble area, at 5.30am??? Sounds as if they were up to no good. Sorry but it does – and I’m not saying they deserved to be shot – but I think it stinks. They sure as hell weren’t on de way to church!
@JohnQPublicEsc – another assumption yet again. forget de stolen bike…happens every day in bermy. everybody has a right to go wherever de hell they want to go in Bermy…dependin on de individual might be complicated sometimes but still…who know what they were doin but they still didn’t deserve what happened to dem. Besides um sure you ain’t perfect either…who are you to judge??
lol shotta, are you seriously defending his right to steal a bike? far be it from me to say that they deserve what they got, but crime is crime, and such an indifferent attitude towards the non-violent crimes breeds a climate in which violent crime is easier to become jaded to, and that’s not right.
@nameless – nah who said I was defendin his right to steal a bike. Course it’s wrong but still…ya gotta look at de bigger picture here. It was “allegedly” stolen by one of dem guys. And ya he still don’t deserve to be paralyzed regardless.