A peace rally organiser is planning an "Island-wide march" through gang territory.

Antonio Belvedere, 23, said: "If we don't do anything about this, then a bulletproof vest is going to be an accessory in our wardrobes, and everyone will put one on their Christmas list.

"This week there were three shootings in 24 hours. I just sat up in my bed that night and cried.

"It seems like there's no turning back right now. It seems like it's only going to get worse and worse until there's riots again in Bermuda.

"Everybody says nothing is going to happen until it's on the doorstep of the Governor or the Commissioner of Police, but it's on everybody's doorstep right now."

Mr. Belvedere, a sales representative from Paget, said: "I want a group from Somerset and a group from St. George's to walk through the troublespots to promote peace, where all these so-called gangs are."

But he added peace marches were not enough.

"You can't just slap these people on the wrists anymore. There's nothing to scare them from doing what they're doing.

"The system needs to be more consistent sometimes it seems like there are tougher sentences for drug dealing than for killing someone."

Earlier this month after the gun death of Kumi Harford, Mr. Belvedere organised a peace rally at the House of Assembly. At the march, six young men carried a coffin to symbolise the increasing violence and bloodshed among the younger generation.

Mr. Belvedere said the mood among his friends was bleak.

"A lot of people are just disgusted with this Island. I have a lot of friends overseas at college who are now saying they won't want to come back," he said. "If the situation doesn't improve soon I may have to get out too."