Fears Grow About Rising Crime After an Argument Turns Deadly

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS- The tragic killing on Wednesday is rattling the downtown community, happening just steps from Parliament and the courts.

Police say the incident happened around 2:30 Wednesday morning.

Officers responding to a shooting found a 24-year-old man unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the upper body.

He was confirmed dead at the scene.

Initial reports indicate an argument between two men escalated, and the shooter pulled a gun and shot the victim.

The now-murder suspect fled south along Parliament Street in a white Japanese vehicle.

The victim was wearing an ankle monitor and is known to police.

Widely circulated videos show him out partying at a nearby nightclub just before the shooting.

Social media posts identify him as Aliaistair Major Jr., known as “Panda,” though police have not confirmed his name.

As news of the downtown shooting spread, we found taxi driver Quincy Pratt, who works in the area, reflecting on the deeper concern about where the country is heading.

Quincy Pratt – Taxi Driver
“Oh, I was shocked to see what, uh… First of all, I’m just shocked to see what our country has become too. Okay, with all the guns. I mean, all of the murders. I mean, it’s just out of order, okay. We’re known as a tourist destination, okay, but it’s just sad to see where our country is hailing. We need to take a grip of this, okay. And it’s sad. I mean, just, I mean, it’s crazy. We have two, two crazy shootings in the last two days. You know, I mean, just sad to see what the young men are doing now. It’s just crazy.”

An unidentified downtown worker says the lack of police presence and the impact on businesses show just how close this violence cuts to the city’s core.

Downtown Worker
“We have to ask a question, where’s the authority? There’s the police station right across the street. As we speak, you don’t see any police or officers, them doing routine patrols. As before, Bay Street was saturated. You always had someone walk in. On many numerous occasions, I, myself, have to call over to the station to ask for assistance. Person coming, they do things, they curse, they carry on, they shoplift. And they’re just reactive.”

Downtown Worker
“Like I said, it’s unfortunate, you know, first for the loss of life. But once again, like I said, it is a challenge for businesses downtown. We have a lot of, lot of stuff going on that needs to be addressed, and being situated right next to Parliament, that says a whole lot in itself.”

Seasoned taxi driver Harry Strachan says the repeated violence along Bay Street has driven him to leave the area early.

Harry Strachan – Taxi Driver
“I sorry it happened that way. I hope it’d be the last time, because that’s a couple of times, you know, on the same main street, you know.”

Harry Strachan – Taxi Driver
“For me, I don’t want to be nowhere around, especially after 4 o’clock. I goes home.”

Downtown worker Anna Pierre believes a stronger police presence nearby could make all the difference.

Anna Pierre – Downtown Worker
“I feel like, if they were around, it could have been prevented, ’cause the station is, like, kind of close by. It could have been prevented, honestly. Or the person, um, that did it could have been caught, um, but it’s sad.”

And this unidentified downtown worker pointed to growing fears for visitors and the sense that crime is going unchecked.

Downtown Worker
“You have guests come in and tell them, tell us that they’re being warned not to go into the capital, not to come into town because of the criminal activities that’s going on. So, in cases like what happened last night, case at hand, you can see why they are warning them. So now we really need the police presence. We need the guests to feel safe. We need to feel safe. So, yeah, they need to show up in full force.”

Downtown Worker
“They having broad-day, criminal activities going on. So, it being the night, they’ve been raising. They’ve been doing this and there’s no consequences. They’re not fearing jail or anything anymore.”