HAMILTON – A man was stabbed to death late Saturday at a wake being held for a man – Jahcari Francis – who was shot to death earlier this month.
The police report another man was also stabbed in the disturbance at the West End Sailboat Club in Sandys parish at about 7:15 p.m.(local time) a few hours after a home-going service for Francis at Christ Church in Devonshire parish.
Both men were taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, which was later placed under lockdown with police officers on site.
“Unfortunately, one of the males has succumbed to his injuries. The other is being treated for non-life threatening injuries,” said Chief Inspector Na’imah Astwood.
The dead man was not immediately identified.
Two hours after the fatal stabbing, at least seven police vehicles were in place at the club, with a large section of the area cordoned off as officers processed the scene.
Francis, 20, was shot dead on July 19, a day after the general election, in the same house in Devonshire, where his close friend Isaiah Furbert, 19, was fatally shot nine months ago.
Police have said their deaths were likely part of an ongoing feud between rival gangs.
Late Saturday, a Bermuda Hospitals Board spokeswoman said – “King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is currently on lockdown and the Bermuda Police Service is on site. This is standard procedure following a major incident, to ensure the safety of our patients and staff.”
Speaking on gang violence in the lead-up to the election, in which the opposition Progressive Labour Party defeated the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) in a landslide, leader David Burt, now the premier, accused the OBA of “paying lip service” to the problem, adding that his party would appoint a gang violence reduction co-ordinator, whose sole focus would be on implementing programmes to reduce gang violence and anti-social behaviour.
“We will provide the action that the community has been asking for,” Burt said.
Bermuda’s first murder victim of the year was a 31-year-old man, Jahni Outerbridge, who was gunned down outside the Mid-Atlantic Boat Club.
His death was the second in the parking lot of the Devonshire club. In October 2012, Michael Phillips also lost his life there.
Bermuda has witnessed more than 30 firearm fatalities overall since gang violence began to spiral in May 2009. (CMC)
