nassauvillage

A night of celebration turned deadly after one man was shot and killed while four juveniles were injured by gunfire.

Residents of an apartment complex on Stack Avenue, Nassau Village were hosting a baby shower around 9 pm on Sunday, on their doorsteps, when two men drove by and fired gunshots “indiscriminately” at the attendees.

The police said the grey Nissan Note was used by the gunmen to escape the scene.

The crowd ran for cover, upsetting tables, but one man identified by a sister on social media, as 20-year-old Jorodly, was fatally wounded and died on the scene.

Screams pierced the night as a woman cried and yelled inconsolably, in Haitian Creole.

The juveniles,  all male victims, were taken to the hospital for medical assistance, but police have not revealed the extent of their injuries.

Police do not know the motive for the shooting but are asking the public to assist them with the investigation.

The murder count now stands at 90.

House Speaker Halson Moultrie incorporated a poem of vengeance in his most recent speeches in the House of Assembly on Monday.

After the presentation by Ft Charlotte MP Mark Humes during the Budget Debate, in which Humes conceded that he will continue living although he was not renominated by the Free National Movement, Moultrie commended Humes saying, “You seem so happy in your presentation” adding that he admired “the joy” which Humes showed.

Surprised that Humes expressed no ill-will toward the party despite not being ratified, Moultrie then quoted a recent poem he had written, that expresses his retaliation.

Here’s the poem Moultrie wrote and quoted in the HOA

Every man’s origin is the womb
And every man’s destiny in the tomb
Life is the interval that exists between the womb and the tomb
So it is between the womb and the tomb, let no man presume that D Halson Moultrie was sent here to be consumed
For such an assumption is a rebuttable presumption
And any perception of a threat could lead to the acceleration of your own death
And while I don’t advocate the commissioning of a kind, I will get on my knees and say to the mind, and God help you if I have to pray over you, Psalm one, zero, nine.

The big picture

Moultrie is known for launching tirades in the House, often expressing his displeasure for the “disrespect” he believes the executive branch of government shows the parliament.

In February, Moultrie resigned from the Free National Movement, citing his personal convictions, and later stated that he will run as an independent candidate for the Nassau Village constituency in the upcoming general election.

Photo credit: The Nassau Guardian

Since Independent House Speaker Halson Moultrie’s exit from the Free National Movement, he has created quite a stir, revealing a private conversation he’s had with Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.

Moultrie appeared on The Hit Back with Nahaja Black, disclosing the government’s intent to call an early election in 4 to 5 months, and further divulging Minnis’ plan to send him as an ambassador to London in an effort to shuffle the party and its candidates as it prepares for general election, whenever that may be.

Moultrie’s revelation comes after he resigned from the governing party, opting to become an independent member of parliament. He cited the lack of “autonomy and independence of the legislature and judiciary, accountability and transparency, freedom of information and respect for the constitution” as a reasoning for his departure from the party.

But his decision came as no surprise as Moultrie has often lambasted the government as House speaker, recently criticizing the government for the condition of his office, complaining of the mold and inoperable bathroom facility. He said he will not “sit here idly by as the presiding officer of this Parliament and accept such conditions.”

Moultrie once hit out at Minnis, while claiming there was no discord in the party, suggesting that the prime minister was acting like a “demigod – like a person who is a maximum leader, a person who could just dictate,” he told reporters in November.

Moultrie’s behavior is similar to that of former minister of Health Duane Sands, who turned on the party after his resignation from the Cabinet post. Though Sands remained with the party, he criticized his party at every term, questioning the government’s vaccine rollout plan and its emergency orders in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One month after his resignation in May, Sand’s derision for his party went as far back as the passage of the Hurricane Dorian, accusing the government and other ministries of deleting hundreds of names from the list of missing people, without explanation, although the apparent removal of names would have occurred when he was the minister of health.

But unlike Sands, Moultrie’s gripe with the party has done nothing to help his public image. He is already known as a poor representative for the Nassau Village constituency, where area residents feel like he has neglected them, providing no meaningful change for the area. If he was ratified as a candidate for the area, it is almost guaranteed the government would lose that seat.

Sands, on the other hand, has grown as a good representative for Elizabeth Estates, often seen canvassing and cleaning the area and seemed to be well-liked by the constituents. The government has a good chance of winning this seat, though he has yet to be ratified like other members of his party.

It remains to be seen what will be Moultrie’s next move, whether he will run as an independent candidate for the Nassau Village constituency or retire from politics, which may be a better option.

House Speaker and Member of Parliament for Nassau Village has formally resigned from the Free National Movement, becoming an independent member of Parliament, according to a letter seen circulated on social media.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the FNM, Sefrent Rolle, Moultrie says “with immediate effect, I formally end my seven-month consecutive withdrawal from the  Free National Movement, by tendering my resignation thereby cancelling my membership.”

The big picture

Moultrie joins Centerville MP Reece Chipman and Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller in resigning from the party to become independent parliamentarians. Miller has since joined up with the Progressive Liberal Party.

Why it matters

Moultrie in recent times has publicly criticized the government, citing his convictions on the lack of autonomy and independence of the legislative body.

In the resignation letter, he makes mention of the faults he has with the party, again citing, “convictions on fundamental essentials of democracy and good governance such as the separation of powers, autonomy and independence of the legislature and judiciary, accountability and transparency, freedom of information and respect for the constitution.”

A seven-year-old boy was left dead on Sunday night in Nassau Village after a gunman fired gunshots into a group of people.

Reyes Williams was found lying face down on the ground with wounds about the body.

Police say shortly after 9 pm, they received reports of a shooting on Esmeralda Avenue and Alexander Boulevard, Nassau Village.

Reports say occupants of a blue Nissan vehicle drove up to the residence and a passenger discharged a firearm in the direction of the persons that were in front of the property.

Little Reyes was wounded by gunshots, and medical technicians announced the boy dead on the scene after an examination.

What is not known

• the identity of the shooter
• the motivation of the shooter

As investigations into this matter continue, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames called the shooter a “coward,” saying the police will find the person responsible for the murder of Reyes.