People wasted time arguing about Pastor Leroy Bean when they should have been tackling the real issue behind the gun violence epidemic, according to shadow national security minister Jeff Baron.

Mr Baron highlighted the plight of young black men as he reflected on the latest shooting, outside Southampton Rangers Sports Club on Friday night, in which a man and woman were injured.

Reacting to Mr Bean’s appointment as gang violence reduction co-ordinator last Wednesday, Mr Baron had claimed there was “eye-rolling” among the anti-violence community, and questioned what had happened to the One Bermuda Alliance’s selection for the role, Chae Powell.

But on Saturday, Mr Baron said in a statement: “We made this issue about a name — a person.

“We lost the chance to talk about the real issues. I regret that. What we should be talking about are these raw, undeniable facts.”

Police said a man on a motorcycle fired into the parking area of the club shortly after 8.30pm. Both victims were taken to the hospital where they were treated for injuries.

Mr Baron stated: “The indiscriminate shooting into a crowd at Rangers club is horrifying. The toll each incident like this takes on our community is significant and long-lasting.”

The former national security minister pointed to the following statistics:

• black Bermudian males make up 27 per cent of Bermuda’s population, but make up 98 per cent of all homicides over the past decade, and 100 per cent of firearms homicides;

• this June, there were a total of 191 inmates in all corrections facilities, including just three white Bermudians;

• 51 young black males have been convicted in the past few years and will serve significant time behind bars; 25 young black males are now serving life sentences, compared with six in 1986;

• about 220 Bermudians have relocated to Britain, including many young black males to avoid violence and gang tensions over the last ten years;

• 130 people have been injured by hot bullets entering their bodies.

He continued: “Our reality? We are losing a demographic of our society. We’ve lost too many already. Instead of being a source for leadership and transformation politics has been roadblock.

“It’s wrong to make gang violence about one person or one agency.

“It’s right to talk about the reality of the raw data together. Ignoring it or not knowing it is not good enough.

“It’s wrong to engage in sustained political feuds over government’s appointment when blood splashes our pavement. It’s right to question, hold to account, and quickly move forward by supporting whoever serves this critical role.

“Gang violence reduction is not about a name or person — it’s not about Leroy, Chae, Wayne or Jeff. If we want to make violence about names consider these: Haile, Lorenzo, Prince, Rickai, Jahni, Fiqre, Joshua, Stefan, Kumi, Randy — and this heartbreaking list goes on.

“Whose names will be on the list next week, month or year? That, not anything else, deserves our collective, total focus from the body politic and from the community.”

Witnesses should call police on 295-0011 or the confidential Crimestoppers hotline on 800-8477.