Government officials working to combat gun and gang violence have joined forces with a gospel reggae artist to send out a message of peace to the public.

Wayne Caines, the national security minister, and gang violence reduction co-ordinator Leroy Bean are featured on a song by singer Septimus called No More Murder, which was written to highlight gun violence.

The pair recorded the song at a radio station’s studios on Saturday — the day after Taylor Grier, 30, died and another man was wounded in a shooting at the junction of Court and Elliot Streets in Hamilton on Friday night.

Mr Caines joined Septimus at the microphone and sang part of the song, re-recorded with Mr Caines and Mr Bean’s voices added to the original track.

Mr Caines, who visited the scene after the shooting, sang: “Last night I was awoken from my sleep with that call — yes you know that call: another man shot and murdered in our streets.

“When will it all end? When will it all stop? This is a time where we are celebrating the emancipation of slavery.

“Over the next five days we will celebrate life, being together, our culture, our family and our friends. We have to commit to loving each other, fighting for each other, being there for each other — let this week and weekend go by without any loss of life.

“Brothers, I am going to ask that you to put down your guns. Brothers, I am going to ask that you value life.

“We have another mother grieving her son. We have a young girl that will never get to see her father again.

“This is our country we have to want to do better. This is our Bermuda — we have to end the gun violence.”

Pastor Bean added: “We need to come together as one people, the violence must stop, the murders must stop, the killing must stop.

“This is a time to celebrate what our forefathers have done we need to celebrate freedom — true freedom requires us to be one people with one voice.”

Mr Caines told The Royal Gazette: “Pastor Bean and I were preparing to do a public service announcement for the Cup Match weekend and our desire for it to be a peaceful weekend.

“Once the incidents of Friday night happened, we had a renewed focus. We met up with a local gospel reggae artist Septimus. I’d heard one of his songs and I thought it had a brilliant hook.

“We went into the HOTT 107.5 station and we laid the track. The song was so catchy and, as Bermudians say, I started to bust a skank and we started singing.

“We spoke about the serious side of a young man losing his life.

“We will have a significant police presence and we have our ongoing educational plan Operation Street Safe — the programmes in the school.

“We felt that a catchy tune would also resonate. This is along with the ongoing things that we are doing.

“We just had a good time in the studio and we were talking as men about the plight while keeping in mind the solemn and sacred nature of what we are doing. It was just a good experience.”

The song can be heard on Bermuda’s radio stations.