The Governor extends his condolences to the families of Nakai Robinson (18) and Natrae Eversley (23). The killing of these young men on Court Street is not just a personal tragedy for those families, but a moment for Government House, the Government of Bermuda, the Bermuda Police Service and the entire community to consider what led to this incident and what more can be done individually, and collectively, to stop the cycle of gun crime.
I visited Court Street in the aftermath of the shooting to meet the members of the Bermuda Police Service who responded to the incident. I also spoke to the officers responsible for investigating this horrific crime. All those officers acted with complete professionalism in difficult circumstances, and I thank them, as well as the other first responders, for their actions.
I was struck, as others have been, by the brazen, callous and calculated nature of the attack in the heart of our capital. We were fortunate, given the location and manner of the shooting, that even more people were not injured or killed. Such attacks in public are inevitably indiscriminate and I strongly reject the view, held by some, that they only impact certain parts of the community. Gun violence, and those bent on using it, affects us all. It disturbs the peace of the whole Island, the spirit of those that live here, and community cohesion. These incidents are shocking, and we should be shocked. We cannot let ourselves be numb to this unacceptable use of violence. The number of individuals who feel empowered to use firearms is small. But the ripples that this minority of individuals creates on the lived experience of many Bermudians is significant.
Government House, in partnership with the Government of Bermuda, is committed to working with the Commissioner of Police and his team to identify and implement measures to help bring those responsible for this horrific crime to justice. We are meeting regularly and those discussions are not about continuing business as usual. They are about challenging ourselves to identify what further measures can be taken to break the cycle of violence.
I have also spoken to the Premier and the Minister of National Security who have emphasised that the Government of Bermuda is fully committed to providing the police with the resources it needs. The Premier and I have agreed to convene a Governor's Council on the issue of gun violence.
There already exists a very well-considered 2024 National Violence Reduction Strategy to address serious violence in Bermuda. The Strategy provides a road map for change. Some measures will, as in any jurisdiction, take time to implement. But there are also shorter-term measures that can be explored and implemented.
Government House, the Government of Bermuda and the Bermuda Police Service are committed to pursuing, within our respective responsibilities, the following measures:
1. Increasing the pace of recruitment of new BPS officers to increase the overall numbers of officers to police our community;
2. Identifying and acquiring new technology or techniques to assist the BPS in the investigation of firearms incidents;
3. Identifying any resources, equipment, or training that could be deployed from the UK or elsewhere to support the BPS in tackling firearms incidents.
These measures are not an exhaustive list of measures being considered, but an indication of the shared will to tackle gun violence head on.
I would urge everyone who has information about the recent murders, or any other firearms incident, to share ~hat with the police on 717-2345 or 295-0011, or Crime Stoppers Bermuda on 800-8477.
It is important that we all do what we can to make our community safer.