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April 2021: First gun murder of the year recorded

April saw the first gun murder of 2021 – one said after an investigation to be a case of mistaken identity.

Jordan Outerbridge was walking home from a card game when he was shot several times on Ord Road, Warwick, around 10.30pm on April 6.

Mr Outerbridge, aged 37, was survived by his wife, Krishunna Outerbridge, as well as two daughters, aged 10 years and 18 months at the time of his death.

Police concluded that the shooting was gang-related – but added that Mr Outerbridge, who had no links to gangs, had been mistaken for someone else.

Detective Superintendent Nicholas Pedro also spoke out against the “malaise in the community” in the wake of the shooting and earlier violent incidents.

Mr Outerbridge was said to have been shot by a man in a blue-hooded jacket, who escaped on the back of a motorcycle driven by a man dressed in black. No one has been charged in connection with the murder.

Bermuda also broke coronavirus records in April as the number of infections and deaths hit new heights.

The month began with two deaths over the Easter weekend - about two and a half weeks after the first anniversary of the earliest recorded coronavirus case.

A total of 16 more deaths were recorded by the end of the month, which took the death count from 12 at the start of April to 28 at the end.

Bermuda also saw 960 infections by the end of the month, with a peak of 904 active cases by April 19 and halfway through the month crossed the milestone of 2,000 infections since the pandemic hit the island.

The surge prompted the Government to enforce a strict stay at home order between April 13 and 20.

David Burt, the Premier, blamed the spread on a refusal to heed Government health advice by the public and appealed to people not to mix households or meet in large groups.

But a special exemption given to the St Regis Hotel sparked anger as work on the hotel was allowed to continue while many other construction workers were forced to stay at home.

The exemption was scrapped on April 14 after just two days, but despite claims that it was made in error, many, including Bermuda Industrial Union president Chris Furbert, highlighted the exemption as an example of favouritism.

Buses were also taken off the road – first due to an infection scare, but later after a dispute over leave being paid for while staff waited for Covid-19 test results. The confrontation was later sent to arbitration.

Schools had switched to remote learning by the week of April 12, despite public schools having started routine saliva tests in March.

An arson attack in Pembroke made headlines.

The Pig’s Field Park children’s playground went up in smoke on April 10 around 8.20pm.

Members of the public rallied round after the fire and are still raising funds for new equipment.

A man has been charged in connection with the incident.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of the Queen, died on April 9. He was 99.

A Royal Bermuda Regiment rifle salute was fired on April 10 at Government House.

The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Rena Lalgie, the Governor, Mr Burt, Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier and Cole Simons, the Leader of the Opposition.

Krishunna Outerbridge, wife of the murder victim Jordan Outerbridge, appeals for witnesses to come forward at a press conference on her husband’s death (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)