Both of Friday’s shootings are believed to be gang-related, according to the Bermuda Police Service.

At a press conference in Hamilton Police Station yesterday, Acting Inspector Jason Smith from the Serious Crime Unit said that officers were investigating whether the two incidents were linked.

He added: “We’re also hearing that there are other gangs that have formed within those gangs. We have to recognise that, in some instances, this is a new reality.”

Pastor Leroy Bean, of anti-gang group Cartel, told The Royal Gazette that the splintering of groups within gangs was not a new phenomenon.

He added: “This has been happening for quite a while. Certain gangs break off, because you have individuals who are leaders in their own rights, so they’re not going to take commands.

“We in Bermuda have allowed to get to a certain point, rather than taking the bull by the horns years ago.”

Acting Inspector Smith urged members of the public to “be bold” and report any information they may have on Friday’s two firearm incidents.

The first incident took place at about 11.30am, as a 20-year-old man was shot while turning from North Shore Road in Pembroke on to Overview Hill. The two men responsible for the attack then sped away on a black motorcycle east on North Shore Road.

The victim was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, before being taken off the Island via air ambulance for further treatment.

The second incident took place at about 7.05pm, as two men chased another male from Court Street on to Angle Street before one opened fire. No one was harmed in this incident, and everyone involved fled the scene before police arrived.

“We can all do our part and stand up to these individuals,” Acting Inspector Smith said. “We can take back our community. If you know something, you should say something.”

He added that the BPS had two “very distinct” witness appeals to the public.

The first is for anyone who may have seen two men on a black motorcycle between 11am and 11.30am acting suspiciously in the area of North Shore Road, Berkeley Road, Palmetto Road or St John’s Road, or if anyone saw two men at about 11.30am travelling east on North Shore Road. “We would also like to hear from anyone who has CCTV cameras attached to their house who live along North Shore Road, east of Overview Hill,” he said.

The second appeal is for anyone who was in the Court Street, Ewing Street, Angle Street and Middletown areas, who may have witnessed the incident as it unfolded between 6.30pm and 7.10pm, or may have seen the suspects leave the area.

Acting Inspector Smith said: “In both of these cases, there is someone in our community who knows who the suspects are. It may be a girlfriend, family member or friend. You may have overheard the planning of the event or you know where these males retreated to after the event.

“We need you to be bold and come forward. The information that you possess, even though it may seem insignificant to you, may be the small tip that helps in solving these crimes.

“There is a family that is now in pain, as they deal with the new reality of a loved one dealing with serious injuries. Let’s do our part to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

•Anyone with any information is asked to call 247-1218 or the confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477