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By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  ONE man is dead and five other people, including a woman, are in hospital after a gunman opened fire at a public park off Baillou Hill Road on Tuesday night. Police have nine men in custody in connection with the incident. The shooting pushed the country’s murder count to 42 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. The shooting took place shortly after 9pm in the Sunshine Park area. According to police, peo-
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Volume: 112 No.98
‘SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS ALREADY CONSTITUTIONAL’
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By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net LAWYER Fred Smith, QC, yesterday claimed that the constitutional backing for same-sex marriage has been available for decades as he criticised opponents of the upcoming gender equality referendum. Mr Smith, president of the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA), said the view that the referendum would pave the way for same-sex marriage was a damaging myth that displayed a fundamental misunderstanding of the law. He explained that Article 15 of the Constitution already protected individuals from discrimination on the basis of sex, and as a result, a legal path to same-sex unions was already present. SEE PAGE FIVE
PASTOR SPEAKS OUT AFTER TRANSGENDER CALL FOR RIGHTS
ple were in a park when a man with a handgun got out of a white Honda Legend and fired several shots into the crowd before speeding off in an unknown direction. As a result, five men and a woman, ranging in age between 18 and 25, were shot. The victims were taken to hospital by ambulance. One of the men died shortly after arrival. The other victims are listed as stable. Police have not officially identified the murder victim, but The Tribune understands he is 20-year-old Mekenes Polard. SEE PAGES TWO & THREE
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE SUNSHINE Park basketball court yesterday and, inset, murder victim Mekenes Polard.
YOUNG MOTHER ONE OF TWO PEOPLE KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENTS
MARIA POITIER
By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  TWO people are dead, including a young mother of one, after two separate early morning traffic accidents in the capital. According to The Tribune’s records, four people have died and three others have been hospitalised in
traffic accidents in The Bahamas since Saturday. The latest accident took place around 3am yesterday on Collins Avenue. Officer-in-charge of the Traffic Division, Assistant Superintendent Craig Stubbs, said the female victim was driving a Honda Accord with two passengers, a man and a woman,, when she lost control of the
vehicle and crashed into a tree. “We believe she underestimated the kerb and was going at a high rate of speed,� ASP Stubbs said. “She lost control and hit a tree. The car then flipped twice before hitting another tree. The driver died on impact.� The passengers received minor injuries and were
taken to hospital for treatment. Police have not officially identified the victim, but The Tribune understands she is Maria Poitier, a mother of one. Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man following a traffic accident early on Tuesday. SEE PAGE SIX
EVENTS REVEALED FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MAJORITY RULE
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture yesterday announced the calendar of events connected to its “Road to Majority Rule� 50th celebration scheduled for January, 2017. Built around the premise of embracing “true Bahamian culture and history�,
the events will be highlighted by the theatrical re-enactment of the Burma Road riot and Black Tuesday. Dr Daniel Johnson said yesterday that his ministry wants Bahamians across the country to “get excited about and celebrate our things�. He likened the build up to Majority Rule to the American civil rights movement. Dr Johnson said Majority
Rule embodies the critical struggle for equality and human dignity for all Bahamians. “We have to tell the world our stories, our history, where we came from, our way – what The Bahamas has to offer. Our unique custom like Junkanoo, folklore, food, art, dance and music,� he said. SEE PAGE TEN
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
PASTOR Lyall Bethel yesterday questioned if someone coached members of Bahamas Transgender Intersex United (BTIU) to appear ambivalent about the outcome of the gender equality referendum so as to not shed light on the “hidden agendas� of the fourth constitutional amendment. Speaking about BTIU’s call for equal rights for members of the transgender and intersex community, Pastor Bethel said a move in this direction could open a “black hole that we can never see the end of�. He added that once the government starts discussing these “extreme� views, any “off the wall� group would try to make their lifestyle seen as normal. SEE PAGE SIX
‘PAY OFF-DUTY POLICE TO PATROL THE CARNIVAL’
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE government should pay off-duty police officers to patrol events like Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, Police Staff Association Chairman Inspector Dwight Smith said yesterday. Officers on duty when such events happen are usually used to police those events. But, citing precedents in countries like Trinidad, SEE PAGE THREE