Court Street residents and business owners said they are staying in the neighbourhood, despite recent violence which claimed the life of Raymond 'Yankee' Rawlins.

Gavin Smith, of Chewstick Foundation, said the charity had taken some flak for being situated in North East Pembroke.

But admitted his organisation and many others [EmDash] like UP! (formerly the Uptown Market Association), Corporation of Hamilton, Bermuda Small Business Development Centre and Youth on the Move [EmDash] were there to stay.

He challenged the community to stay on Court Street and raise white flags in their doorsteps and cars as a sign of unity.

The area was affected by another fatal shooting, after Raymond Troy (Yankee) Rawlins was gunned down at Spinning Wheel nightclub on Monday morning.

Yesterday community members met outside the nightclub to show the area their support.

Gina Spence Farmer, vice chair of UP! said many people in the area had been affected and were in need of help. She said UP! was working with outside agencies to provide this therapy.

"If you have been affected, impacted by any of these shootings, any of these murders, get some help. It is absolutely imperative that you get some help or help for your children.

"I know a lot of you don't know what to do. We have been down this road before. I would encourage you to pray, seek some sort of refuge on ways you can be uplifted."

According to Steve Simons, Director of Spinning Wheel and Chair of UP!, it was time for people to be proactive.

He said the community needed to be educated on why these young men were acting out. But people also needed to work together to give them more jobs and opportunities, he said.

Mr. Simons said: "They don't have a lot of fear because they feel that the society we live in is so hypocritical. There is really no one to believe in, there is no guidance for them. What we need to do is give them opportunity, not just information.

"If you shut down the opportunities and people have no hope than it is the most insecure and unstable individuals that you have to come up against. You have to give people hope and make them part of (something).

"If we don't embrace all of our families on this Island than we are going to annihilate ourselves. We have the divine opportunity to be an example to the world and show them what we can be if we work together," he said.

Mr. Smith also said young people needed more access to jobs and resources. He admitted the men they work with in prisons fear leaving jail and returning to a wall.

He said: >"Generally that's where they end up because most of the time they come out of there and they are even more handicapped."

So how do we fix that problem, look at the hustle truck. It is success there is a line down the street, (at Government's) Mirrors Programme there are lines. So we need to help our young men who are generally caught up."

"We need more people to come to this area, not leave this area," Mr. Smith said.