Hundreds Gather Outside Belvin’s For Vigil
[Updated] Three days after a brutal double murder took place inside the establishment, people gathered outside Belvin’s on Happy Valley Road for a vigil held in memory of Haile “Star Child” Outerbridge and Ricco Furbert.
On Wednesday evening the two men were chased into Belvin’s and gunned down. Their deaths marked the first murders of 2013, and also the first double homicide the island has seen for years.
Over 200 people, both young and old, made their way to the vigil this evening [Jan 26], including Junior Minister of National Security Senator Jeff Baron and area MP Michael Weeks.
Coming from St John’s Anglican Church in Pembroke, Rev. Nicholas Dill — who is pictured above holding a 100-year-old cross from St Augustine’s Mission — said that the community must turn its face to God and that the cross was a symbol of the enduring good represented by the cross and its triumph over evil.
Under the watchful eye of nearby police officers, Kesis Paulos Goater from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in St George’s offered the first prayer. He was followed by a second prayer from Kes Haile Zion Simons.
Rev Vernon Lambe also spoke at the vigil, saying: “I think something needs to be said about the fact that some 23, 25 young men…all black, young men… are departing so violently and viciously by our own, by our own sons.”
“We need to rise up and say enough is enough. Other Pastors are here tonight and I think can identify..I have buried 10 out of the 23, 25. Healthy, strong, gifted, talented….yes and black.
Rev. Lambe continued: “God made us that way, because he knew that we would bring something more than just the dark tone from melanin. He knew that we have certain gifts and abilities.
“Look around….look at the little ones, we have to have a Bermuda for them…and they need their own fathers, and they need as families their own sons so they can fulfill their own destinies.”
“But tonight, I wonder if all the young men, wherever you are could rise up enough is enough. Somebody has to be willing to say, enough is enough.”
Audio of Rev. Lambe:
Music by Haile Outerbridge, one of the two men killed on Wednesday, was played at the event, receiving a warm reception from those gathered. The 34-year-old was a talented reggae singer who performed under the name ‘Star Child’.
Music and entertainment were provided by Starr Lyfe, Spanish Town, OG Genesis, local poet Spring Flower, Imari and E-Levels who sang a song that Haile Outerbridge wrote called ‘Independent Ladies,” and Andre “Blacka” Simmons sang a few songs including ‘Its So Hard To Say Goodbye.’
A pre-recorded version of ‘Independent Ladies’ is below:
It had been sprinkling throughout the evening, and started to rain harder at around 8pm, while Gavin Smith of the Chewstick Foundation was organizing people. The hard rain caused most people to seek cover, with some beginning to leave.
The vigil was hosted by the Curve Community and ‘Colford’s Family Against Violence’, a group which was formed after the 2011 murder of Colford Ferguson.
A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident, however the double murder remains under investigation. Anyone with any information regarding the murders is encouraged to contact the Serious Crimes Unit on 247-1739 or the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers Bermuda hotline on 800-8477.
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Awesome!
This is for the young lady who spoke while star child music was playing. Thanks for keeping it real. The whole island needs to here that. Bernews,the Royal gazzette and the Bermuda sun need to publish that. Thank you young lady. Through the rain I stood there and listen to what you said and I know that enough is enough. To all the families that are hurting due to this senseless gun violence. May Jah comfort you always.
Bermuda are you really tierd I see all the comments in the past pp sayin pls stand …didnt see you out Tonight…. thanks to the 200 of you that came out … young, old ,black, white, MTOWN , PARKSIDE, 42 , FRONT LINE , BACK BUSH All you young black Men of bermuda pls look around you see the hurt pls stop I know there are more groups I didnt write but you know them all by now … God bless Bermuda
I would have been there but like many – I never heard about it until the story was posted here. – Hats off to all of you that attended!
I hope you’ll sense the friendly tone and spirit I have while sharing this with you but I think it might be better not to name “crews” as attending because for me it lessens the impact of the gathering by marginalising the “crews” that did not attend and are the enemy of the crews you mentioned. Not saying that was your intention but it’s how it affected me. We wouldn’t want people viewing these gatherings as gatherings of gangs or crews. Could end up really harming the our efforts. Just my imperfect opinion.
@I WAS THERE: I understand your frustrations about people not being out but the reality is, haven’t we had vigils before? Do you think these guys care about funerals or vigils? While that vigil was going on, some of these young devils (yes, because that is what they are) were riding around in their packs looking for trouble-that is the reality of life in Bermuda on a Saturday night. I know this for a fact and I know for a fact they were out looking for trouble last night while vigils were held for their fallen friends-yet I was supposed to be there?!!! THEY WEREN’T!!!
I’m a black Bermudian and I am so sick of it-I’m seriously thinking of leaving Bermuda. I’m sick of opening the paper and reading this stuff. Why are the rest of us made to suffer because of the ‘beef’ these guys have with each other? Sadly, it won’t end until they’re all dead-that is the reality, Bernews so don’t edit me! No words will ring through to them! The thought of their own mothers suffering at their deaths doesn’t ring through to them so will anything else make a difference?! They just hope to get all of the ‘enemy’ before the enemy gets them but one gang will never totally wipe out the other-there will always be tit-for-tat. I have to wonder if they even know what they’re angry about anymore.
When you have slogans that say ‘Parkside, Darkside’ you know you are dealing with Satan and he is laughing his head off right now at the carnage and all the souls he’s getting for himself. The pastors can say what he wants at these funerals, but a lot of these guys who have been murdered have blood on their hands as well-TRUTH! Let’s get real, Bermuda! So these pastors can say the right thing and the families can say their son is with God if it makes them feel better but can they say for sure where their son’s soul is? THEY CAN’T! These boys think it’s a joke! They think God doesn’t exist! They will have to answer to an authority way higher than the PLP Government or OBA Government or U.K. Government…do they not realize that? No, they don’t-until they are laying there covered in blood drawing their last breaths and wondering where their soul will go!
I know you gang members read this and I hope you take this seriously. Get on your knees and ask God’s forgiveness, turn away from your wicked ways and turn yourselves in to the authorities of the land to be held accountable for what you have done-only then will God know that you have truly repented. If you don’t turn away, you had better hope you have time to say ‘God forgive me’ when it’s YOUR turn to go!!!
A deeply solemn post.
@Anon—I read with interest your comments, I also sometimes feel that life can be hopeless for young black men, and its a shame that BLACK MEN don’t rise up and take their rightfulplace because maybe these young men have a point, the god people have been praying to for years have never helped them through slavery,and its aftermath still going on today under modern policy enslavement! How much hope can you have when no place was made for you in your own society, and lets not talk about getting off of ones behind to go and pursue and interest, think about it, if you are a young black men in todays world especially in Bermuda what is there to look forward to, its rather sad tht we don’t recognize the damage of the system on our families because if we don’t wake up they won’t wake up.People need to stop praying in vein and start thinking about what this situation really means. Those men have seen another light and I’m not convinced that they are to blame for their demise given their limited circumstances, and I do mean LIMITED especially in Bermuda. The real irony is that we have more churches per square mile than anywhere in the world and thisplace is one of the most corrupted, no use praying to a god that cannot hear and recognize the god in each and everyone of us that becomes GREAT when we accept our collective responsibility to rise up without fear..Or like most crawl into our little cubbie holes and wait and wait and wait and wait..Well I don’t want to wait in vein so lets get real!We call for change but can we handle what we have to go through for progress?
Rather wake up and be humble
Wish I could been there but I’m happy a lot of people came out
Bermuda come together
And speak up and save a life
R.I.P. Haile. When u awake you shall see your creator. God bless your soul.
Well done folks for coming out in SUPPORT of the VIOLENCE which is spreading and threatening the very existence of OUR CULTURE!! I have 2 main QUESTIONS to ASK:
1. Whose names were on the “HIT LIST,” reported to be SEEN by the COMMISSIONER and later CONFIRMED by the media???
2. Why were the INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES NEVER INFORMED of the EMINENT DANGER?
Great for us to come out in SUPPORT however,have we forgotten the emotional cost of All affected (families left to live with the lost?
How did he know this info?
http://bernews.com/2010/03/video-blakeney-says-guns-rented-for-2000/
BERMUDA the solutions to these TRAGEDIES lie within OUR SHORES!! We do not NEED to pay for ANY EXPERTS to SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS
OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM is OUR UNWILLINGNESS to BE HONEST with OURSELVES!!
DRUGS have been SOLD in certain SEGEMENTS of OUR SOCIETY for YEARS without any REAL SOLUTION to ERADICATING them from OUR STREETS!!
LOOK in your NEIGHBOURHOOD and “squeal,” on the BIGGAS who have introduced/inducted these young men into the LIFESTYLE!!!
Some of US work for what WE have AQUIRED while OTHERS take the EASY way to OBTAIN THEIR WEALTH
THEY have purchased homes through their GIRLFRIENDS/WIVES or OTHER family members while LAW ABIDING CITIZENS slowly work on their PERSONAL MATERIAL WANTS!!
WAKE UP BERMUDA WE have turned a BLIND EYE to these CRIMINAL ACTS for TOO LONG and SILENTLY IGNORE the TRUTH about FAMILY MEMBERS ENGAGED in ILLEGAL TRADE of NARCOTICS!
and what of the big money investing in said narcotics and importing it into the country to take advantage of people who need money to pay rents and buy food etc? u call for honesty…very few are honest about whos really runnin this game….end prohibition
@ Craig….I wish bernews had a like button or thumbs up sign…..I agree 100%…..people are refusing or afraid to look at the bigger picture…
I agree, Craig. Also, TPTB need to start thinking outside the box and start securing out boarders properly! Everyone is getting angry but we all need to ask how the heck these weapons got here to start with-that is touched on now and then but never fully explored…heads should be rolling!
I flew home once and was standing outside the airport waiting for my husband to bring the car around. I saw WITH MY OWN EYES, two flight attendants go to a car in the small parking lot (practically in full sight of the police station) look around and then hand over something to some hoodlum-looking guys in a car! How thoroughly are those flight attendants searched when they come here?! They’re treated like they’re important but really, they aren’t and so shouldn’t get any special treatment! Everybody can be bought these days and they really don’t make all that much-it’s easy to pay someone to bring something in.
I informed the authorities and they acted like I was crazy! They refused to think outside the box because they’d never heard of an unscrupulous flight attendant, I guess. I even knew what flight these attendants were off-they could have easily put these women under surveillance and watched them the next time they came here. What were they bringing in? How did they know these guys? Those are all things the police should have been looking at, yet don’t and then beg the public to come forward to help? When people DO try and help, they discount what people say as of little significance when it could prove important later on! Then they wonder why people don’t speak up???
*borders*
I agree with you – and to be honest I was guilty of looking the other way at the drug dealer that lived in my neighbourhood as well. As long as he didn’t bother with anyone or push it in the neighbourhood and cause any drama we all pretended that we didn’t know what he did.
He no longer lives in my neighbourhood and has been stabbed and shot since leaving. is drrug pushing and crimal life has ruined many families.
I agree with you and I assure you nobody like him will ever feel comfortable in my neighbourhood again.
churches have stood by silently as the system has created todays environment….your jesus hasnt stepped up thru your works cause u all have jus sat by and collect sunday dues…….bermuda is the way it is today because of corruption from the people running the system……for over 20 yrs social activists have warned of todays reality…no one cared
bermuda killings……. multiple causes……multiple solutions…society dont care enough yet
step 1…end prohibition….
.step 2 massive anger management and conflict resolution…in schools….and wider society
step 3 education system that catches at risk youth b4 they fall…..
4 afrocentric education in all schools
5 jobs that pay living wages
6 new economic model to bring cost of living down…
7rebuild the familt structure..via parenting classes…..
.if these steps were understood they would be implemented…if this society cared…they would understand what these things will do to fix a few problems…..society dont care enough yet…and sadly it will take a lot more to make society care
politicians still running from solutions
and scared to engage the public who r are bringing solutions
I am happy to here that people came out to Support,where do we go from here,Leaders we are calling on you to take some Role to Move forward from this,Churches,Politicans,Police,let this be the real start to the healing this island truly needs…
I agree with all of your steps but need some help. What does step 1 mean? And how is step 5 to be accomplished? For example, if someone only knows how to sweep the street they aren’t going to get paid a million dollars a year for it. Education, education, and more education will only help in the living wage category.
WE, the Bermuda people, need to speak up and out. We need to help these young men that WANT to be helped and can be helped. Unfortunately, some are beyond help and that is sad. WE have allowed this sore to fester and grow into what we see today. So it makes sense that WE are the ones to heal the sore from within. You are correct, society doesn’t care enough yet, it will take more sadness for it to hit home. Why are WE willing to wait that long?!
WE also need to put a face to these people who are able to walk through our society because the vast majority of us don’t know who they are. The police know, their parents know, their girlfriends know, but Joe Public doesn’t know that Johnny who works next to them Mon-Fri from 8-5 is shooting up the place outside of those hours. There should be a list in the paper with names and pictures before the tragic event happens. WE, the public, should know who is a suspected gang member as we walk down Reid Street. Human rights be damned! If you want more intelligence against the unwanted behavior then equip more people with information to give that intelligence. If 55,000 pairs of eyes are knowledgeable that someone is a threat then the chances of getting more help increase exponentially. This isn’t rocket science!
I believe the Police are doing almost as much as they can, but what I stated above would certainly help. Let us know whom you suspect so that more of us can let you know what we’ve seen them do or where they were. Isn’t that simple?!
Douglas do you really think these young men (shooters/hustlers) are the one’s that are truly running the game? This is where the blind eye is being turned….our young men are being used as pawns but don’t realise it……it’s not just about the “gang member”…..it’s a much bigger picture then that!!!!
The police DO NOT know who all the alleged gang members are although they claim that they do, just like they told us that there were only 4 or 5 of them on the island…
LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE. ….
** 4 or 5 guns
Tricks, I never meant to imply that these young men were the only problem, just the more immediate problem. You are right, there are a bunch of things that need to be tackled simultaneously. For an older guy, my eyes are wide open! We need to fix the problems everywhere, all of them!
if u dont know what ending prohibition…aka ending the fake war on drugs means…google examples of it
if you dont know what living wages mean…google examples of it within other countries…..the time for excuses are over…we live in the information age…and its easy to google examples in other much larger countries with larger populations that have put in place solutions to solve various social ills……time to end the excuses
stop protecting the billions of the bermuda drug trade and end prohibition….unless the money is more important than lives.
the police support ending prohibition in larger countries……politicians speak about it freely in other countries…drug trade is like trade in any other commodity….white collar business type people trade in commodities..bankers n lawyers clean the money….the small fish are involved to pay their rents and mortages and get little material trinkets….end prohibition and the profits dissapear…intro living wages and make the cost of living cheeper in bda on top of that and poor people wont be desperate enough to peddle for mr big…..stop makin excuses…..bermuda is corrupt
Craig Lobby, you are a little presumptuous of me in your reply but thats ok. While I didn’t know what YOU meant by prohibition, I thought it best to first ask you before making an assumption about your comment. I wouldn’t want to make an a$$ out of you and I.
I have mixed feelings on this issue, but history shows that all the efforts and money thrown at the war on drugs has had WHAT net result? Very little I say. Maybe it is time to try something different as the status quo hasn’t had the result that was envisioned! If you want to change something you first have to actually CHANGE something you do.
And I do know what a living wage is and I’m sure there are other ways to combat the problem. BUT when someone is faced with the issue of not being able to earn enough to live/survive, the more immediate and effective way to solve that is to earn more. Education can directly effect one’s ability to earn, hence the easiest and best answer (in my opinion) is to get more educated. Social programs cost tax payers money and are NOT free. I’d rather teach a man to fish then just give him a fish, that way he won’t go hungry.
I’m making no excuses mate. Just a real solution for a real problem, but not the only solution.
Tell me, how would you “make the cost of living cheaper in bda”?
You believe the police are doing as much as they can do? are you serious? I don’t know who the gang members are, but all I have to do is ask my children and share info on the social media with me, everyone can know anything. But I know that the police know who the gang members are. They know who is a potential target, who and where the treat is coming from. so why have they not rounded them up? why have the powers that be not made being in a gang ‘illegal’ like I heard was going to happen. I say round up gang members, those affiliated/associated with them, those who harbor them, those who feed them, mothers,fathers, grandparents etc. Doing enough? not at all. Now we need to have another vigil outside the Police Station and not move until they tell us what they intend to do!! Hold them accountable, they have been entrusted with protecting the Island. I give them an ‘F’
So sorry I wasn’t able to attend… P.S. For those of us who would have liked to have been present, anymore sound clips Bernews????
just an observation,,there where over 350 post refering to the Shooting, verses 14 post to the Vigil so far ,only leads me to confirm a a statement I made on Bernews, Most people really dont Care about the Positive they would much rather focus on the Water Cooler N Baber Shop Convo,,,Opps
forgott Talk Shows,, Thats who we are on this little Island
we LOVE drama it keeps us entertained and reminds us that some one else is going thou and it alows us a break away from our own Drama,,,Bermuda is Really another World ! The
isle of Devils,,Wow
REST IN PIECE STARRY, RICO,FINGAZ,BIG H,JAMIL N JAMEL,YANKEE,STEPHEN N RYAN,DAVID,SHAQ.
did anyone see Rolfe there….didnt think so!
@Nuffin but de Truth: that’s because Rolfe was busy looking for the news camera.
My condolences to the victims family’s. Hundreds need to go after these hoodlums. Pull them out of their comfort zone and bring them to justice. Their is power in numbers. They are not afraid of the Police. Go where they hang out or hide out make them uncomfortable. Flush those rats out.
Endless pain
The pain and sorrow
The hurt and heartache has just begins again for two families and the community why because of a gunmen and his gun
Mother is broken because of the lose of her child her son
Why because of a gunmen and his gun
Mother is left to mourn the lost of her beloved child her son
A community is left to mourn and be broken again because of the two young men death
Why because of a evil gunmen and his gun
It seems here on this island there are mothers always crying and mourning their sons death
Bermuda we need to wake up before our graves overflow with our young black males
We need to come together
We need to unite with one another
We need to love one another
We need to come together BERMUDA before its to late!!
We need change
If we can come together for a vigil why can we march for change
Do we has bermudians really want to this to stop
If so speak up and save a life
Yes and a fed up nana I am!!!
A Grandmother of a soon to be 12 year old young man; I pray and hope that there is EXTRA POWER in my prayers; not only for him but for all of our innocent young boys who are coming of age “THAT SOON THIS WILL BE A DISTANT MEMORY”
@Come together Bermuda, where and when are we marching? this time we need to head down to the police station and demand some action from them- the police need to make these boys afraid of them- take away their power! I mean who is running this Island?those in charge of our security should be ashamed.
i wish bernews had a like button becaue i would like ur comment 200000000000000x’s it is time for not just the police but us as a whole to finally stand up and show everyone that we are truely fed up
Parents you must keep a close eye on your kids. If he or she is hanging around unsavory characters stop it immediately. That’s what I did. Once they reach a certain age they think they are adults. You need to bring them back down to earth when that happens. If you work all the time its imperative that you find time for your them. Don’t allow the Cable TV to raise them or allow them to look at some low life as their role model, you must be their role model. Pay attention to what they are doing in school. If you don’t show some kind of concern that’s when they think no one cares and they turn to the wrong element for support. Its important to do this before another generation is lost.
Thank you to the mainly black community who came out to be a part of yet another sad and somber occasion; as they have done in the past. I just wonder when we will see the white community coming out and sharing with us on our loss. I guess it is not their problem!!!!
So now everyone is quiet. To all of those on this site who are wanting, pleading, wishing and waiting for a change, how will it happen without us demanding it? How will it happen unless we find the strength and courage to demand it? I asked where and when are we marching to the Police station? Do we not have any more leaders in this Island? Will we Never take a stand? Well I have put out the challenge, where and when Bermuda?…
A town hall meeeting is not enough, it does not get across how really FED Up, we are of the Police and Govt not having any real and strategies in place to tackle or solve this gang violence. Why don’t they just be honest with the public and say we don’t know what the hell we are doing. I would respect them more if they did that, because we can clearly see they have no clue, and while their pride maybe holding them back from speaking the truth their pride is killing our sons, brothers, uncles, nephews, and killing the spirit of this Island. When is enough enough, Bermuda?
@watchful–I agree, unfortunately me thinks that the people involved with all these asassinations must be in a very authoritative position…There appears to be a well orchestrated plan to get the job done regardless of public appeal! The people orchestrating don’t care! How do we make people care if they feel there is nothing better to live for, or they are being threatenedas well as maybe family members threatened. It is definitly a serious situation that we should not be comparing to U.S. with their seven hundred and fifty million people! Why are we in twenty-two square miles allowing our young men to kill or be killed, they cannot be OHMS surely, so why can’t we down tools until, or how important are these lives; that happen to be our future by the way, what about our young women and children who are also a part of this apparently hopeless situation..I would like for us to shut the island down!!!!!!!!!!!!If we do not reach a solution than we can watch our future slip away, so sad that enough people don’t care enough to do something extreme to get the message through..Lets down tools until we find out what is going on and why our young men have little regard for their own lives.
Although it was nice for Rev.Dill to turn out, unfortunately the Cross has always been a symbol for war and conquering, I hardly think it will do anything different than what it has been doing since it was taen from entiquity..just SYMBOLIZING like everyone else.
Who gives a flying f&* what u think!!!!! My bredwin is lying in a feezer right now!!!!! Who cares bout ya beleifs, guys are hurting right now and we don’t wanna hear that shyt!!!!
You Instagramming chumps!!! Come say it too our faces!! —
RIP Stary, Quazy, President, Puck, Kumi, Freddy, Colford, Wheels, and any other fallen Bermuda soldiers!! You guys stole mi friends!!
When will this maddness end? You cry, we cry, we all cry together when we loose a friend, son, brother, father etc…The 1st one murdered by a gun was enough….instead US people stood there allowing this f%ucking bull$hit to take place…Yeah I’ll start with ME cause I know theres always going to be some A$$ to want to play judge reading this and simply cast judgement on what the f@uck I write. But at this point I DON’T CARE!!! What I do care for and about is that I have kids and god kids who have to live in this island…I care about Rico and Haile’s family and the other 25 odd murdered who left behind kids and family to live this as a memory..the tit for tat bullshit ….really wtf is it over…At the end of the day we all have a question WHY? I don’t blame Haile’s mama for keeping it 100% real when she questioned the premier and asked “How can he console a mourning mother” yeah she was in the upmost best position to ask him that. These idiots up in westgate don’t care to a certain extent. I say certain because truthfully they have hearts and hearts feel…Whatever you think you are whether it be a wanabe gangster belonging to which ever gang…Your all PUNKS at the end of the day…It’s time to wise up BDA! Us adults need to be held accountable and teach boys to be MAN. Realize your self worth and once you all realize the value of self worth NO ONE can take this from you!! It’s time to take a stance against this bull$hit propaganda in Bermuda!!! REAL TALK!!!
@watchful eyes
We can march anytime and a the police station or neighborhood you tell me just make it happen if you are serious about stopping this violence in BDA
BERMUDA COME TOGETHER
FEb 23,2012 @ 12
We can march to the police station ALL that want CHANGE come out and take a stand
Who will come if so type I WILL
Time to step up and come together BDA
Only GOD knows!!!