Three dead, 10 injured in mass shooting at Turks and Caicos nightclub

Three people have died and a further 10 injured following a mass shooting at a nightclub in the Turks and Caicos islands.

According to Turks and Caicos-based publication The Sun, the shooting began at around 2:57AM outside the Island Hookah Lounge nightclub, close to Blue Mountain, Providenciales. 

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene by the Royal Turks and Ciacos Police, with a further 10 suffering injuries "ranging from minor to life-threatening" taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre. 

It is believed that four suspects are responsible for the shooting, with no arrests made so far; the incident is thought to be the first mass shooting "in recent history" in the British Overseas Territory. 

Turks and Caicos Premier Charles Washington Misick told a press conference on Sunday: "What is happening here is unlike anything we've ever seen before. This is not a situation we should accept."

Misick described the incident as a "gangland-type slaying", claiming that it is linked to Haitian organised crime groups, calling on the archipelago's Haitian communities to cooperate with authorities to track down the shooters. 

“You know who these violent criminals are. You know how guns are getting into the country,” he continued. “And while I’m speaking predominantly to the Haitian community, because that is where most of the violence seems to be coming from, I want to speak to everybody else, because I believe these criminals are being aided and abetted by persons who know who they are and who are doing it for gain.”

According to Sky News, Turks and Caicos Governor Anya Williams said that Cheshire Hall Medical Centre was on "lock down" to protect those injured in the shooting, with two of the victims having been transported overseas to receive medical treatment.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter