Armed Robbery At Hunts Store In Warwick
[Updated] There was an armed robbery at Hunts in Warwick this afternoon [May 1]. Further details are limited at this time, however we will update as able.
Update 3.50pm: Police Media Manager Dwayne Caines said, “At 2.46pm police attended a report of an armed robbery that took place at Hunts Food Supply in Warwick.
“It appears that two males entered the premises wearing dark coloured clothing and full faced helmets, brandishing what appeared to be a firearm, and made demands of cash. They were given an undisclosed amount of cash, and those males then left the area.”
“Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen two men in the area acting suspiciously or anyone who may have any information on this planning or the execution of this robbery to contact police.”
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 295-0011 or the anonymous and confidential Crimestoppers hotline on 800 8477.”
Update 3.56pm: Mr Caines added that it appears the suspects jumped over an adjacent wall, and then left the scene on a motorcycle.
Update 5.21pm: A police statement said, “At 2:46pm on Sunday, May 1st police attended a report of an armed robbery that took place at Hunts Food & Supply in Warwick.
“It appears that two males entered the store and brandished what appeared to be a firearm and made demands of cash.
“They were given an undisclosed amount of cash and the two males then left the area on foot, jumping over a wall adjacent to the property and leaving on a motorcycle.
“The only description at this point is two males wearing dark coloured clothing with full face helmets.
“Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who has any information on the planning, execution and subsequent activities around this robbery. It is your duty to come forward.
“Persons who can assist with this investigation should contact Sergeant Renay Rock on 295-0011 or the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline 800-8477.”
Update 7.36pm: This evening, Premier and Minister of National Security Michael Dunkley joined those in the community in condemning today’s robbery at Hunts Food and Supply in Warwick.
Premier Dunkley said, “I was very disturbed to learn of this latest incident and can confirm that I have reached out to Mr. Nelson Hunt to express my concern and regret.
“What particularly saddened me was the fact that there were young children who witnessed this terrible incident. Our entire community should be outraged at these unconscionable acts of crime that are targeting our small business owners and innocent members of the public.
“The Government will continue to support the Bermuda Police Service in their efforts to tackle crime and violence. But the public’s assistance is what’s critically needed to help Police bring those responsible to justice.
“I am urging those who may have any information about today’s robbery to please come forward, say something and share what you know.”
The Premier reminded that information can be provided via the anonymous CrimeStoppers hotline.
Update 9.19pm: PLP Acting Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Walter Roban said, “The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party extends our support to the owners, management of Hunt’s Food and Supply after being targeted by armed robbers.
“We are relieved that no one was hurt and we encourage the public to assist the Bermuda Police Service in identifying, capturing and incarcerating the individuals responsible.
“Hunt’s joins a growing list of small businesses that have been targeted for robberies that are becoming more brazen, more frequent and more intolerable.
“Studies have shown that around the world, when unemployment falls, crime falls with it. Yet in contrast as unemployment rises crime and in particular violent crime rises.
“With job losses, business closures, the doubling of the debt and a forty-nine year low in air arrivals, every Bermudian should be deeply concerned that there is neither a plan to address this increasing criminality nor one to get Bermudians back to work.
“The PLP’s position is that we must:
- 1) Continue to support Programmes such as Mirrors that have been effective in providing our youth with alternatives to gangs and violence
- 2) Revisit proposed PLP programmes such as Job Corps to provide our youth with job training and the soft skills needed to compete for employment and opportunities in their own country
- 3) Ensure that our Bermuda Police Service has the manpower and resources to effectively disrupt criminal activity, seize weapons and conduct effective investigations that lead to convictions.
- 4) Review and where necessary, update current crime legislation to ensure that it is keeping pace with changes in criminal activity and continues to be relevant to today’s Bermuda
“It is clear that the best way to inhibit the creation of criminals in our society is to ensure that jobs and opportunities are available to every Bermudian that wants to work and that swift, certain punishment awaits those who choose to break the law.”
This is the second armed robbery this week, following after the armed robbery at the Gem Cellar on Front Street on April 28th.
Its been a rise in this sort of behavior since OBA been Government
A bold statement without any facts!!
Are you perhaps trying to say that this behaviour is due to former ‘friends and family’ that now have no income???
It’s the same “doo-doo”,different day
I’ve suggested this often and will continue believing if you spare the rod the crimes will just continue. Sad but true. Change the Laws to combat crime of this nature immediately and send a few to prison for 20 yrs. with NO time off for so call, “good behavior” then watch the difference in these acts of crimes…
Thats not how this works.
You get a discount for an early guilty plea, and are entitled by law to serve a 3rd of your time before you can get parole.
Thats the law.
But i guess thats the PLPs fault as well inna ray
That’s not what you and your cheer leaders were saying when P.L.P where in.
Glass House Syndrome
LMFAO
What happen to Jeffy Baron’s crime plan he promised in 2012? Is the OBA waiting for the 2017 election to roll it out
yeah, due to PLP fallout.
I’m an OBA supporter and I think this a dumb thing to say
You’re also a liar and the oba should stop making people rob local businesses….HAM.
What a stupid comment. These guys are bold faced criminals. This has nothing to do with anything political party. They are thugs. Plain and simple.
Not according to U.B.P. and their supporters when P.L.P. was in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You mean like the rise of shootings under the PLP? But after I wrote that, it occurred to me – why is everything reduced to silly politics? Someone had a gun shoved in their face this afternoon. They could not give two hoots whether the OBA or the PLP were the government! They were terrified and will carry that fear for years. I pray they are okay.
Back to your comment – help fix the problem by raising good children, speaking up when you see something bad happen, and feeding a hungry friend, or stranger. It is called good citizenship.
AI think it is time for Zero Tolerance on gangs…
It started under the PLP. You seem to forget all the fire arm related murders and robberies back then, in the distant past (4 years ago).
To be fair there were some ghastly armed robberies in the old ubp days too
Stop it!!!
Maybe you aren’t old enough to remember a certain UBP MP who pulled on a gun on his own daughter, and he got a slap on the wrist. So I guess you can say it started under the original Government , gun crime and soft court sentences.
Urban myth . Get the facts straight .
He didn’t ‘pull a gun’ on his daughter.
There where shootings in the 80s and early 90s too.
“a rise in this sort of behavior since OBA been Government”
You mean semi-literate and brainless posting of comments?
And you need to check your grammar! Oh yeah, that’s the OBA’s fault too!!! SMDH!
Zoe, obviously u r a PLP-tard
@Zoe? Now we have the answer to the Jeopardy Question? Who is the most ignorant person on the planet. Congrats.
The OBA is no more responsible for this act of violence than the PLP government was for the many gang related murders we experienced during their time.
The only people responsible for these crimes are the criminals and those friends an family that think they are helping by hiding and enabling them.
@ 7:45 Likes 120 PLP Dislikes 117 OBA… PLP winning
If that is what your definition of winning is, you are a sad , sad soul. There are no winners here.
Truth be told it’s been a rise in everything since these clowns took over. Even racial tension is up among the people. So divided and the only time we come together is May 24th.
…and Carnival!
Funny how robberies increase and gun crime decreased if you want to put it like that.
what a stupid comment from an obvious stupid person. all the people doing these crimes are gangsters for chrissakes
We need jobs
Jobs is just an excuse.
Garbage.
His momma take care of him.
Well I found 40+ jobs on the jobs board just now…
So jobs are there….
Yeah but some are also work permit renewals.
irrelevant. all Bermudians can apply for a work permit renewal and have first priority on the position.
Many that say stuff like “renewals are the reason why they can’t find a job” are their own worse enemy…”Seek and yea shall find” And yes, do re-appy and if the job has been taken then find out who was hired and if it’s / was a renewal then go to the authorities showing where / when you’d applied for the same job.
it makes no sense applying for any job if the experience isn’t there. Half of them want 5-10 years sometimes even 15 years experience. So for some (not all) it’s a catch 22..damned if you do damned if you don’t.
Keep on thinking that true.
But that does not mean you should not apply. If you are qualified, the work permit holder has to go. That is why employers are required to advertise. To not apply because you think it is a renewal is EXACTLY how employers get away with renewing that foreigner. THINK, instead of COMPLAIN. Such a lame excuse.
Sorry, but it is also lame to think getting a job is as simple as applying for it. Most of these jobs are tailor made and written in such a manner that no Bermudian would want it, much less qualify for it. Sometimes these ads call for one person to do the work of three, four people. Come on!!
Having said that, I highly doubt these guys are robbing places to feed their families. They’re doing it because it’s easy and they’re getting away with it.
LAME is just giving in and letting employers continue working the system. If you do not apply, and fight your case, they will continue to walk all over you.
And yes, some of the ads are ridiculous – but you should still apply. Your argument is a circular one. You are saying the ad is written to discourage Bermudians from applying. So, that means the job might not really be as bad as the ad suggests, right? In that case, why not apply? But no, you don’t apply, so the employer keeps the ex-pat, while you go hungry. Employers RELY on Bermudians not applying – they proudly tell Immigration “No Bermudians applied”. We only have ourselves to blame!
Yep like landscaping jobs. You are expected to be an electrician, carpenter, mason, tree surgeon and work 50 hours a week plus weekends and public holidays. Forget having a life. These fools the hold up places want quick money probably for a drug habit.
I have worked for numerous companies and seen them advertise when a permit renewal came around and never seen them replace the person with a Bermudian. The intent was always to get the permit renewed. When a decent local did apply there was always an excuse. What you described is how it should work but not based on my experience.
ALL OF THEM ARE WORK PERMIT RENEWALS AND SOON THEY WILL HAVE BERMUDA STATUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bermudians don’t want to work, they just want to get paid!! I’m a Bermudian and work my butt off!!!
Yeah, well I’ve struggled over the past year with employment, been between jobs and working part-time for crap pay, with a mortgage and a family and scratching where I don’t itch. At no point have I ever considered getting a gun and robbing a store. These kind of people are going to be on the outside of the law regardless of whether there are jobs or otherwise.
Not so true. Who knows it feels it!,,
Ive known it and felt it. Still not been tempted to pick up a gun. I suspect its the same few fools running around the island doing this, and guess what? If you dumped another 3000 jobs right into the economy tomorrow, they’d still be doing it. These are individuals who likely have no intentions of bidding by the law.
Hope these desperate, ignorant thugs are caught very soon!!!
Cant figure out why anyone would hit the dislike button. Unless these 6 people are the criminals, friends or family members.
They robbed a food store and took no food. So don’t try and say this is because of “tough times”.
To the first commmenter….there was a gang shooting almost daily back when the PLP were in power.
That is a gross exaggeration. There were never “daily” shootings under the PLP.
There were “almost” daily shootings at times during the PLP rein. Not a gross exaggeration at all. We made special arrangements to pick up our kids and keep them off public transportation etc. so I remember it well.
No comment about the robbing of a food store, but not taking any food?
The straight community is unable to stop the erosion of society so they wanna try blame it on the gay community rather than agree they failed their children .
Your comment is as irrelevant as you are…geesh some people.
The neglected single parent families baebays that were fed candy and lots crap tv are home to roost
Huh?!
Punk activity!!
Hope they’re caught !!
Allowing economic disparity as an excuse in such a violent act- assassinates the compassion and generosity beating through Bermudas heart.
When are they gonna band tinted visors? damn!what’s it gonna take? Sickening! Hope those in hunts are ok and they can catch these criminals that are doing this on a regular.I can’t believe how much this is happening and nothing is being done to stop it.
Totally agree with banding tinted visors on helmets…As far as nothing being done to stop it isn’t true
It’s the Laws needing to be changed a.s.a.p.
To politicize this shameful disgraceful behavior in order to gain points for one political party over the other is a disgrace in of its self….FFS!!!
With all these CCTV cameras it should be fairly easy to spot two people dressed in black with full face helmets and reflective visors. Probably wearing gloves too in this heat. Suspicious? Track them and if need be alert a patrolling car – if we have any these days. That seems to be part of the problem, there are no visible patrols. Maybe innocent but seems to be a pattern in their dress and likely the same two.
It won’t be long now…somebody gonna get a hurt real bad!
Helmets don’t rob people only stupid people with helmets rob people.
A call for public flogging when caught.
You can’t flog my child he’s a good boy. LMAO
I fail to see how this is the OBA fault. These men are just plain thieves. Those poor women who work there are now frightened and will have lasting effects from this happening to them. There is nothing political abut this.
Firstly,
My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who was in the store at the time of that incident. It is one of the worst feelings in the world to have a gun pointed in your direction. It will be an image that you will never get out of your head. It happened to me earlier this year, and you are never the same. You have dreams about the incident, from time to time when you are in the store you get scared. When you see someone in a full face helmet you become overcome with fear.
Your family begin to worry every time you go to work…..it takes it toll on you.
I am in counseling because to this day. Know that it gets better.
To those who say people are desperate and blame the robberies on this, I call BS it is an entitled group that want something for nothing they prey on the weaknesses of our community. Look who are affected mostly, cashiers, gas attendants, packers hardly the rich, we are the ones who are on the front line
Anyway I hope they catch these scum bags, and when they do, watch the mothers who come in court crying saying not my baby or he was framed or the police have it out for him also the girlfriends, and don’t forget the people who then write the dumb comments like, keep your head up bra!!!
we will see!!
Dont blame the mothers sometimes the father figures arent their.It takes two good parents to teach a child. But then these two are no longer children and make their own choices despite what their parents taught them.
Can the police stop this “It appears to men entered a store.” We know two men entered the store. They brandished what it would appeared to be a fire.
No one can be certain at this stage. It is irresponsible to state it is without confirming all evidence. Sometimes even without full disguise one can’t tell !
Tough times in Bermuda and only appears to be getting worse. When will the OBA deliver on those 2,000 jobs they promised? Serving tourists food in a restaurant is not my idea of job creation either. We need substantial long-term jobs that can feed families. Also when are they fixing the school system. OBA don’t care.
Ban the tinted/mirrored visors, catch these punks and make an example out of them.
The Premier is also the minister of security for this Island,why the hell has it taken him so long to ban thes helmets ? call a meeting with the sellers of thes e helmets and ban them..is he going to wait until someone is killed .ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
If he don’t then just maybe them that do sell the tinted helmets will stop selling them…helping to protect our communities ?
The visors are already on-island. Doesnt matter if you stop selling them, they’re here. It also doesnt matter if you ban them, because visors can be taken on and off and that’s how they will get around that.
how on earth does anyone blame this behavior on lack of jobs or even the politicians?
Can’t we see how much more brazen these robbers are becoming? I think that the more they hear the phrase “times are tough” is the more confident they will become as this may translate in their sick minds as a pass to do these crimes. Stop encouraging callous and antisocial behavior. Be careful what you blog about and stop helping to set the stage for this trend. You could be next.
no more war!!!
how do you know it was a real gun? hence the phrase appeared to be…..
Also is that what you want to focus on? like really!!
keep focus on the bad guys…. and don’t get side tracked by the little stuff.
don’t focus on the hole in the donut no more war!
Duh, you need to understand what you read. I said they should stop saying it appeared two men entered the store and say two men entered the store with what appeared to be a firearm. Well there’s no way at this stage to know who the bad guys are so ill happily focus on what I want to. Try to understand what you read before you speak. It’s not that difficult you know.
Why is the minister of national security allowing this ?
Why are YOU allowing this?
Perhaps, instead of banning dark visors, they should ban wearing motorcycle helmets when not actually on your bike! I don’t think there are many other places in the world where people stroll around the streets, and in and out of shops, wearing their helmets. There’s no need for it. When you get off your bike, take off your helmet, or be considered as suspicious.
How about your suggestion as well as tinted visors? Food for thought…
Yeah, and when that doesn’t work we can ban motorcycles. How many people have actually died from DUI yet none of you want alcohol banned? PS, guns are banned, these guys couldn’t care less.
fey ?
This armed robbery has no political affilation, the gunmen were interested in cash not a staff members political persuasion. So stop blaming the political climate, that shows a lack of understanding and maturity.
Perhaps it’s time for all stores to have panic buttons installed to alert police to the crime while its actually in progress, and not after.
Panic buttons to alert the police, excellent idea, there maybe some challen ges. Most if not all staff are in a state of shock when a robbery is happen ing and are too frightened to attempt to press a panic button, after all yo u are thinking about your life. Any sudden movement may cause the robber to shoot. The idea of banning dark tinted visors on helmets has been floated for a few years, the politicians have not moved on this, and I believe it is very, very important to take a serious serious look at this, before peop le are killed in the course of a robbery. Hopefully our soldiers and allied services who are currently in training in an over-seas camp, will be press ed into service upon their return. Officers on foot patrol and at checkpoints at various parts of the Island and businesses will help to id some of the travelling public who may have ill intentions, as well as disclose a variety of traffic offences and warrants.
Panic buttons to alert the police, excellent idea, there maybe some challen ges. Most if not all staff are in a state of shock when a robbery is happen ing and are too frightened to attempt to press a panic button, after all yo u are thinking about your life. Any sudden movement may cause the robber to shoot. The idea of banning dark tinted visors on helmets has been floated for a few years, the politicians have not moved on this, and I believe it is very, very important to take a serious serious look at this, before peop le are killed in the course of a robbery. Hopefully our soldiers and allied services who are currently in training in an over-seas camp, will be press ed into service upon their return. Officers on foot patrol and at checkpoints at various parts of the Island and businesses will help to id some of the travelling public who may have ill intentions, as well as disclose a variety of traffic offences and warrants.
I doubt they even know which political party is even in power — if they do its probably because someone told them
It seems I’m not the only one that can’t stomach the phrase,” keep ya head up”and the other one,”hey fam”.With the former you only encourage bad and in some cases evil behaviour.With the latter you young cats are are informing on each other,killing each other,robbing each other.There is no love of family what so ever in your works much less what comes out of your mouth and NONE from your heart.Sad part is even if dragged to water(for your own good) you would still refuse to drink acting belligerent all the way.
Why areas still allowing helmets to be worn in any business? The powers that be, need to step up their game.
and why does everything end up PLP/OBA.
Nothing to do with politics.
Rip Bermuda.
But wait, what about the island wide coverage of 100 plus cameras we have been hearing about all week? I guess they don’t work too well outside of “staged” events huh….