Bermuda Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Mark Pettingill says Bermuda's current gangs have their roots in less organised 'crews' that were allowed to grow over the last two decades.

Mr. Pettingill, who is a defence lawyer, spoke in the wake of three shootings over the weekend. The shootings left two men in the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) and Raymond Troy (Yankee) Rawlins dead.

Yesterday, Mr. Pettingill said: "Nearly 20 years ago when I started my career in the Department of Public Prosecution a senior Canadian Crown counsel gave the opinion on a number of occasions that a gang problem was going to come our way, that the groups of young men hanging around in certain areas would eventually get more organised and have more knowledge on how to beat the system and Bermuda would have a real problem.

"I don't believe anybody heard him and, if they did, nothing was done to attempt to change the prophetic vision that he proffered.

"And so, we have inherited something that developed right under our noses and instead of being proactive to ward off the problem we simply reacted to it as it spiralled out of control."

Mr. Pettingill added that he was not surprised Mr. Rawlins, 47, had been murdered, given the fact he has long been considered a gang affiliate and top contender in Bermuda's criminal underworld.

"Not so long ago I stood on a street corner outside of my office talking to Yankee Boy Rawlins about the way things are on the streets," Mr. Pettingill said. "He told me it had changed a lot over the years and that the young guys these days had no respect.

"As with many people in the criminal justice system I knew Yankee and knew about his reputation and sadly I was not surprised when he turned up as the latest victim in the ongoing madness that is plaguing Bermuda."

Mr. Rawlins was murdered in a hail of bullets inside Spinning Wheel nightclub, on Court Street, early on Monday morning. One man has been arrested in connection with the attack. Six years ago Mr. Rawlins told this newspaper he was a member of Frontline Crew, which is now considered one of Bermuda's first organised gangs. Police believe Parkside grew out of Frontline, though many of its members are decades younger than those who were in Frontline.

Thirty minutes before Mr. Rawlings was murdered 21-year-old Julian Washington was shot in the parking lot of Mid-Atlantic Boat Club, on North Shore Road, in Devonshire. Last night he was on the general ward of the KEMH. No one has been arrested for this shooting.

And early Friday morning Prince Barrington Edness was shot in the Court Street area. After spending the weekend in the Intensive Care Unit of KEMH he was released yesterday. It is the second time he has been shot in two years. No one has been arrested for this shooting.

Police have said all three shootings are linked to an ongoing rivalry between the Parkside and 42 gangs. They added that all three victims have links with or are associated with the gangs.

Mr. Pettingill said he believed that both the Progressive Labour Party and United Bermuda Party did not do enough to tackle the crews, which grew into the gangs.

In the last 15 months 42 people have been shot, 11 of who died as a result of their injuries. Police say all of these shooting are in some way linked to Bermuda's gangs.

He added that he believed his party was better placed to get to grips with the gangs: "The time of change that the Country so desperately wants is upon us and the Bermuda Democratic Alliance offers the real hope for getting things done in a better way. The ground swell of support has begun and if people are realistic they will get on board and give us the chance to do the job."