By: Staff Writer
March 29, 2024
A former deputy speaker of the Bahamian parliament was gunned down in what authorities are calling a robbery homicide.
Donald Saunders, former Free National Movement member of parliament for the Tall Pines constituency in Nassau, Bahamas, was gunned down on Wednesday night as he sat with friends at a local gathering spot in the Gambier Village.
“We are still gathering all of the facts as we come to grips with this tragedy,” parliamentarian and FNM party leader Michael C. Pintard wrote on X, formerly called Twitter.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement that the shooting occurred in Gambier Village, just west of the capital, Nassau.
Police said the unidentified gunmen apparently demanded cash and began shooting after the group “reportedly panicked and fled for refuge.”
Pintard also described Saunders’ killing as a great loss to the country as he was someone that went above the call to serve people in need.
“He is a very popular Bahamian who means a lot to so many different communities particularly because of his own personal outreach in this community,” he said.
Pintard said the opposition is going to trust “that the system is going to work” to bring closure to the families that have lost loved ones to violent crime.
He urged anyone with information to assist the police.
Prime Minister Philip Davis said he was “deeply saddened” by news of Saunders’ death.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic reports that Don Saunders, Former Member of Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the FNM, has been killed. My wife Ann and I extend our sincerest thoughts and prayers to his wife, Tiffany, children, family, friends and colleagues during this time. I ask that as the investigation is carried out, we respect the family and allow them space to grieve,” he said in a post on X.
The Bahamas Aquatics Federation joined those mourning the loss of Saunders.
The federation hailed him as “a proud swim parent and long-time supporter of our national teams.”
“Don has been a friend of our community for more than 10 years. He has travelled extensively with our National Teams, has witnessed our CARIFTA AQUATICS victories leading to our record breaking 5 straight CARIFTA Aquatics titles, and was in church on Palm Sunday with the team, that includes his son Donald Jr, to kick off our journey to defend our CARIFTA titles and 6-peat here at home,” the federation said in a statement.