Turks and Caicos' first mass shooting resulted in many causalities and injuries
The Turks and Caicos Islands is a British Overseas Territory located roughly 300 kilometres north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the attack took place at a well-known nightspot on the island of Providenciales.
Premier Charles Washington Misick called the shooting 'deeply disturbing' and said it developed the hallmarks of a gang-related attack.
'This is not a situation we should accept,' he said.
'It is something we've never seen before in the history of Turks and Caicos Islands.'
The Premier also made a direct plea to the local Haitian community, urging cooperation with police instructions.
Authorities continue their efforts to tackle the illegal smuggling of firearms, resulting in the rising gang violence on the islands.
'We are now having a gangland-type slaying, and a lot of this gang violence seems to be concentrated in our Haitian communities.'
Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey told the Associated Press that at least four individuals were involved in the attack, although no arrests have been made at this stage.
Acting Governor Anya Williams confirmed that the hospital in Providenciales was placed on lockdown to safeguard the victims that were being treated there.
She also noted that at least two of the injured had to be airlifted overseas for additional medical treatment.
The mass shooting follows the U.S. State Department's decision to upgrade its travel advisory for the Turks and Caicos Islands to Level 2, due to the high levels of crime, particularly in Providenciales, a well-known tourist site and the nation's most populated island.
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