HAMILTON, Bermuda, Jul 8, CMC – Police are investigation the causes of death of four people, including two children, whose bodies were found in an apartment building on Sunday.
The police said that while updates will be provides as the investigation proceeds, they are urging the public to refrain from speculation particularly after images on social media taken from the neighbourhood, a dense residential area near the National Sports Centre in Devonshire, showed people distressed amid a heavy police presence.
Premier David Burt said said the incident was an “unimaginable tragedy.
“The grief and pain for this family is heart-wrenching and as a community we must support them with love and all necessary assistance. With an active investigation under way, our focus must also be on helping the police in their investigation.
“This is an incredibly sad day, and my hope is that our island community will rally to support this family at what is an extremely difficult time.”
National Security Minister, Michael Weeks, said this Friswells Hill community is a tight-knit one and I know first-hand that everyone is affected by the events of today.
“The ministry is co-ordinating counselling and other support services and I encourage anyone who needs this help to contact Bishop Leroy Bean. Additionally, I reiterate and support the call from the police for any assistance to be provided that might inform the ongoing investigation.”
The names and ages of those found dead in the apartment were not released and Acting Commissioner of Police, Na’imah Astwood, told a news conference that upon arrival, officers found four persons, two adults and two minors, unresponsive inside the premises.
“An on-call doctor attended and their deaths were pronounced at the scene shortly thereafter,” she said, adding that while there had been “widespread speculation” about the incident, the investigation was still in its early days.
However, she said there was no indication that there was any direct connection between the deaths and the fatal shooting of Diante Trimm in the same complex last month.
“At this time, the BPS (Bermuda Police Service) is treating the murder of Diante Trimm as separate and distinct from the tragedy that occurred.
“We are actively working to gather more information and a thorough investigation is under way to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these four individuals. We urge the public to remain calm and co-operative as we carry out our investigation.
“As a mother of two young daughters, my heart is absolutely shattered. To the family of the deceased, our thoughts are with you during this very difficult time and we stand ready to provide any assistance.
“Further updates on this matter will be provided as additional information becomes available. In the meantime, we ask for the public’s understanding and support as we work to uncover the truth behind this tragic incident,” the Acting Police Commissioner said.
She said that while the tragedy was the second to rock the South Terrace area recently, the safety and wellbeing of residents stood as a priority for the police and they were committed to ensure the security of the community.
Superintendent Sherwin Joseph told reporters that while it is still too early in the investigation to go into detail, officers with the Serious Crime Unit are involved.
“We are keeping an open mind into the investigation at this time,” he said, adding it was also too early in the process to provide a timeline as to when the four died.
“We wouldn’t be able to basically state exactly any sort of timeline, but we are progressing that. We are interviewing witnesses at this time, so that should help us understand exactly what transpired.”
CMC/af/ir/2024