Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Wright - Three firearms incidents occurred in less than 15 hours in North Hamilton. The first involved a report of gunshots occurring at 10:20pm Friday, March 25th 2011. A scene was located at the junction of Laffan Street & Cedar Avenue where a number of shell casings and a bullet head were recovered. There is no indication that any person was injured as a result. Police would like to speak with two men who may have been the intended targets who were seen leaving the area on orange Yamaha motorcycles.

The second incident is a confirmed shooting occurring at 11:50pm Friday, March 25th 2011. Police received several 911 calls concerning a male shot in the Rambling Lane, Pembroke area. The victim is a 16 year old male who lives nearby. The victim was standing with a group of other youths when he was shot by the gunman who approached on foot. The victim received multiple gun shot wounds and is now in Intensive Care at the hospital in ‘stable’ condition. A full investigation by the Serious Crime Unit was commenced and the scene was preserved and held by the police for further examination in daylight. We do not yet have a named suspect but eye witness accounts indicate the gunman was dressed in a white tee shirt with dark coloured hooded top, woollen cap and wearing gloves. He may have arrived at the scene as the pillion passenger on a motorcycle ridden by another male dressed all in black.

During the morning of Saturday, March 26th 2011 officers completed their forensic examinations at Rambling Lane and released the crime scene. Several police officers dressed in plain clothes were still at that location in company with several other local residents, including some children when they heard a gunshot. A single bullet head was recovered very close to where the group was standing and it appears the group was fired upon. The incident has left everyone very shaken, including the police officers. This was a callous and cowardly act that placed everyone in mortal danger.

Anyone with any information about these recent confirmed firearm incidents is encouraged to contact the Serious Crime Unit on 295-0011 or the independent, confidential Crime Stoppers Bermuda hotline on 800-8477.

Commissioner Michael DeSilva - The community should be outraged by these incidents and our telephones and those at Crime Stoppers should be ringing off the hook as concerned citizens phone in any information – however seemingly insignificant – that might help the police to recover guns and take these reckless & dangerous gunmen off the streets for a long time.

The Bermuda Police Service will relentlessly pursue all serious crime investigations in an effort to identify and arrest those responsible and prevent any escalation of gang violence or retaliation attacks. I want to publicly commend the bravery of our police officers who are working so hard to make Bermuda safer and I want to remind you that the Bermuda Police Service relies on public support to achieve this. Our communities owe no refuge to these callous criminals that shoot their guns at groups of innocent people in densely populated neighborhoods. They clearly have no regard for who might be injured or killed. I urge anyone with any information not to protect these criminals with your silence. Call the police and your information will be swiftly acted upon.