killings

Before he was killed by gunshots, 28-year-old Tyrone Oliver had recently arrived in the country from Africa where he represented the Bahamas in the boxing ring.

The professional boxer was passionate about the sport and “possessed some amazing skills.”

“He was excited about the opportunity and wanted to be the best ambassador through the sport of boxing,” said Romell Knowles, who sits on the Bahamas Olympic Committee.

“I was impressed [at] how poised he was for a young boxer.”

But his promising career would abruptly end after gunmen killed him and his brother Shakuar early Saturday morning while in a vehicle in the parking lot of Solomon’s Super Center. Authorities were alerted to gunshots in the area and spotted a Japanese vehicle speeding away from the scene. Further investigations revealed that the brothers were sitting in a vehicle, dead.

Tyrone’s death came as no surprise to his father Tyrone Snr since he had a chilling premonition of his son’s death.

Tyrone Snr was at home praying at the time of the murder. In recent times, he felt that something bad would happen to his eldest son, who surrounded himself with people of unscrupulous behavior, which clashed with his promising boxing career.

“I don’t sugarcoat what it is. I never had any bad sons, but the older one intertwined himself with persons known by the police. Many times I admonished him and said to him, ‘If you don’t watch out, your lifestyle gon’ cause you,” Tyrone Snr told the Tribune.

The father even warned Shakuar to stay away from Tyrone. “I told him (Shakuar) not to be with this boy for this time because he’s not a good fit for you because, in the spirit, I already know what God was showing me.”

As many question the circumstances surrounding the young men’s death, Knowles concluded, “I’m not exactly sure what happened, what I can say is that we lost another young man to the streets, one full of life and had in my opinion, a bright future ahead of him.”

The Aftershock Boxing Academy Club said the boxing community lost “one of its best.”

“[He] will be honored and [his]name will live on through the sport.”

The year 2020 was the beginning of Tyrone’s professional boxing career where he fought in the United States. But, in 2021, Tyrone Jr was ganged and stabbed by two perpetrators. He survived the attack and was determined to continue his career.

A former girlfriend and mother of his seven-year-old daughter said the young father “was always the guy to [make] you laugh, then cry, then laugh again because you laughed so much, you had no other choice but to cry,” Joy Smith said.

Smith attested that Tyrone Jr got up to train at 4 am every morning. “He was destined for greatness. Tyrone’s dream was to put the Bahamas back on the map for boxing and he wasn’t stopping until it happened.”

The mother of the young woman killed early Saturday morning is in grief after suffering the loss of her third child to murder.

Blanch McKenzie is the mother of 18-year-old Harrinique McPhee who was killed in the Kemp Road area over the weekend when three gunmen emerged from bushes and fired shots at a Nissan March. Harrinique was shot dead and another man who accompanied her is in hospital.

“It’s heartbreaking, very painful. The bone can’t mend. It’s happening too fast,” a grieving McKenzie told the Tribune.

In December 2020, McKenzie’s son, Alfred Bastian was murdered when four men pulled up to a residence in the Kemp Road area and shot Bastian who was standing in a group. And, in April 2021, another son Renardo Bain was one of six men killed on Jerome Avenue when four gunmen riddled their car with bullets after their release from police custody.

After the deaths of her sons, McKenzie posted in 2021 that she was still seeking justice.

“It’s a burden and they left a lot of children,” she said.

Since Harrinique has been killed, she insisted that she would not be satisfied until justice is served.

“I am not getting any satisfaction, there’s no justice, [and] no one is locked up. All I want is justice for my child because I don’t think she should have died that way.

“I don’t think they should kill a woman, a young woman. I think the police needs to get these persons, arrest them and stop letting them run free,” McKenzie said.

Harrinique was a former student of C.H Reeves Junior High School and C.R Walker Senior High School, and went on to work at Burger King on Village Road where she was due to receive the Employee of the Year award for showcasing good team spirit.

She was also a drummer at Living Word Church of God where her grandfather served as pastor.

Friends and family of the woman killed on Sunday night expressed shock after they learnt that she was one of four victims killed by gun violence in the Rock Crusher area.

The sister of Keithra Stubbs who is believed to be in her mid 20’s, said, “They killed my sister.

“Keithra baby, you cut your big sister deep. I will always love you,” Lashanda Collie said.

Stubbs and others were purportedly in the area, engaging in conversation when two gunmen exited a Japanese-style van and fired assault weapons at the group of people that gathered, hitting the four people.

Stubbs was shot and died on the scene, while another individual identified by social media as Andrew Burrows was also shot, and died while in transit to the hospital.

People speculated that Stubbs was a partner of Burrows who was on bail for murder before his death, but Collie shot down the rumours.

“…my sister was an innocent bystander walking through her neighbourhood…”

Another sister, Kaylisa Stubbs screamed, “no” in disbelief when police reported Stubbs’ death. “Yall killed my sister. Yall killed me too.”

Cousin Ryesha Johnson said, “My heart is so heavy. Oh Lord,” while another cousin Debra Bain exclaimed, “My heart can’t take no more.”

A friend identified as Woods Neke said, “It doesn’t feel real. I have an empty feeling in my stomach.”

The violent death of Stubbs and Burrows brought the country’s murder count to 112 for the year.

The father and four-year-old son killed in Rock  Sound, Eleuthera over the weekend, occurred when the family went to check on a house under construction.

The man identified as Jameric Greene and toddler Jeremy were shot when the family was ambushed by gunmen.

What is known

• The house under construction is distant from the main road.
• The father pleaded with gunmen not to shoot while he held the little boy. The mother told the Tribune, her husband said, “Don’t shoot, I have my son in my hand, please don’t shoot.”
• The mother said one of the gunmen started to shoot at her, but she ran into the bush.
• The four-year-old died along with his father during the shootout, as the mother ran for cover.
• The little boy was shot in the thigh as he pleaded to his mother, “Mummy get the doctor, please get the doctor.”
• The assailants jumped into the victim’s vehicle and drove off.
• Police say the assailants may not have been aware that other children were in the backseat of the vehicle.
• The assailants ditched the car and the children were found on a ‘dirt road.’
• The children were later reunited with their mother.
• One of the children is a newborn baby, as the mother returned to the island on Saturday after giving birth in Nassau.

The big picture

This incident seems to be a trend in the killing of children in the context of shootings. Over the last three weeks, this is the third child to be murdered.