From Caribbean News Service

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, Jul 31 2017 – The police have launched a manhunt for gunmen who shot a prominent U.S. attorney and tied up a security guard here late Friday,

The police report that Michael Jones, 57, a Washington D.C. attorney and Georgetown law professor, was staying at a beachfront villa when two masked men forced their way into the premises.

The men tied up a security guard and when confronted by Jones, they shot him.

The gunmen ran off with a laptop.

“What we don’t know is why a shot was discharged (and) what led up to that shot being discharged,” said Police Commissioner James Smith.

Meanwhile, government, tourism and law enforcement officials are insisting that the country remains a safe destination.

Following the shooting incident, an emergency meeting was held involving Acting Premier Sean Astwood, Commissioner of Police James Smith and Governor Dr. John Freeman who said police are actively investigating the incident.

Officials in Turks and Caicos are liaising with and supporting the family of the victim.

According to Smith, detectives from the Serious Crime Unit are leading the investigation.

In a media statement on Friday, the police said robberies in the British Overseas Territory are up by 220 percent although there has been a dip in overall crime during the first fiscal quarter.

For more on this story go to: https://caribbeannewsservice.com/now/u-s-attorney-shot-in-turks-and-caicos/