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Pembroke man shot dead outside home

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Manhunt launched: Chief Inspector Arthur Glasford (Photograph by Akil Simmons)

Police named a man shot dead outside his home as Paul Johnson, as they announced a 21-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the murder.

Officers said they believed Mr Johnson, 33, was gunned down by a man who had lain in wait at his house in Pembroke’s Rambling Lane in the early hours of yesterday.

Mr Johnson suffered several bullet wounds after he arrived home about 3am and was later pronounced dead by doctors at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Chief Inspector Arthur Glasford said police converged on the scene after several 911 calls to report gunshots in the Rambling Lane area.

Mr Glasford said: “Upon police arrival, they came upon a male lying on the ground outside of his residence.

“Police commenced CPR and other life-saving measures and he was subsequently taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where time of death was certified at 3.33am.”

Mr Glasford said it was too soon to say if the murder was gang-related, or if it was connected to an attempted shooting in nearby Happy Valley Road less than two weeks ago.

He declined to say whether Mr Johnson was known to the police. Mr Glasford said detectives wanted to speak to the driver of a grey car who transported Mr Johnson to a business on Hamilton’s Church Street early yesterday.

He added that the police’s response to gun crime was effective, despite a string of violent incidents in recent weeks.

Mr Glasford said: “There is a lot of work that we do in the background that the public may not be aware of where we act on information and intelligence received. We do our part based on the information we have and put plans in place, but we also have to depend on the community and members of the public to come forward.”

He said some members of the public co-operated in the inquiry but that “there are still persons reluctant to come forward”.

Gina Spence, a community activist, highlighted that yesterday’s incident was the third in recent weeks to have happened in a densely populated area.

She said: “My concern is about not just the loss of life, it is that the last three shootings — the one in Friswells Hill, the one in Happy Valley, and then this last one — they all took place at people’s front doors.

“Any child, any neighbour, anybody, could’ve been walking in that space.”

Ms Spence, who went the scene of yesterday’s murder, said adults and children saw Mr Johnson’s body lying in front of his home.

She added: “I’m always concerned when a child who witnesses this shows up at school. What’s the protocol?

“What do we do for that child? How do we service them? It can’t be generic counselling — it’s homicide.”

Witnesses or anyone with any information about Mr Johnson’s whereabouts on the night of his death should call Detective Sergeant Jason Smith on 717-0864 or e-mail jsmith2@bps.bm.

People can also contact the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.