The owner of a Warwick store that was robbed yesterday wants to be armed to level the playing field.

Nelson Hunt said he had already asked the Premier for a gun permit and would be asking him again after two men wielding a firearm raided Hunt’s Food and Supplies while customers including children were in the store.

“If you’re robbing me, if you come in and I’ve got a gun — you’ve got one, I’ve got one — we can equalise that really easily,” Mr Hunt told The Royal Gazette.

“The sad thing about it is that I had jokingly asked Michael Dunkley for a permit to carry a gun,” he said. “I’ll be asking him again.”

Although Mr Hunt was not in the store when the armed robbers struck shortly after 2.45pm, he said there were about eight or ten customers and about four staff members present.

He said the young staff members and the customers with young children were left “traumatised”.

“It’s crazy,” he added, “This is what’s happening at this time a lot more often than we would want.

It was the second armed robbery within four days, after a raid at the Gem Cellar off Front Street last Thursday, and the eleventh in Bermuda since Boxing Day last year.

According to police spokesman Dwayne Caines, the two armed men fled the scene after obtaining an “undisclosed amount” of cash.

“At about 2.46pm, police and first responders attended a report of an armed robbery that took place at Hunt’s Food and Supplies in Warwick,” he said.

“It appears that two males entered the premises and brandished what appears to be a firearm. They made demands for money and they were given by the cashier an undisclosed amount of cash.”

The men, who were wearing full-face visors and dark clothing, left on foot, jumping over a wall next to the property and fleeing on a motorcycle.

According to Mr Hunt, the economic climate was likely driving the spate of robberies.

“With the number of people that’s out of work and been out of work for this long, it’s bound to happen. When you’re in business and you’re a business person, you become a target. It’s as plain and simple as that.

“If people are desperate, I don’t care what security you put on, something is bound to happen at some time. This normally wouldn’t happen, it just happened to happen to us today.

“But if I can get my gun permit we’ll be ready for them the next time — and I do mean it.”

Mr Hunt added that there are surveillance cameras on the property, which were being checked.

Mr Dunkley said yesterday that he was “very disturbed” by the incident and had reached out to Mr Hunt to express his “concern and regret”.

“What particularly saddened me was the fact that there were young children who witnessed this terrible incident,” he stated.

“Our entire community should be outraged at these unconscionable acts of crime that are targeting our small business owners and innocent members of the public.

“The Government will continue to support the Bermuda Police Service in their efforts to tackle crime and violence. But the public’s assistance is what’s critically needed to help Police bring those responsible to justice.

“I am urging those who may have any information about today’s robbery to please come forward, say something and share what you know.”

Walter Roban, the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, also extended support to the management on behalf of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party last night.

“We are relieved that no one was hurt and we encourage the public to assist the Bermuda Police Service in identifying, capturing and incarcerating the individuals responsible,” he said.

“Hunt’s joins a growing list of small businesses that have been targeted for robberies that are becoming more brazen, more frequent and more intolerable.”

According to Gavin Kennedy, the owner of The Hub in Warwick, which was robbed in September last year, yesterday’s incident was a “sign of the times”.

“It’s a big concern. It’s an unfortunate effect that the country is going through right now.

“It’s an easy way for someone to make some money without having to work.”

Mr Kennedy said that the economy was “partly” to blame but added that incidences like this are “an easy fix now”.

“There just doesn’t seem to be any stopping it. No matter what companies or stores do to prevent it, it’s getting harder and harder.”

Mr Kennedy said he had upgraded his security systems with new and additional cameras after his business was targeted.

“It’s an expense but it’s a necessary expense now to protect the staff,” he said.

“But at the end of the day the long-term ramifications are prices are going to go up, which makes it harder to compete with your local market and the overseas market.

“Unfortunately, when you get robbed, the only people that suffer long-term beside the staff obviously, are the customers.

“You’ve got to make up your loss somewhere.”

He added: “We are a lot more vigilant now. We are a little more in tune with our customers that come in or with people that come in.

“We have a no helmet policy — we sort of monitor our customers and we keep an eye on the area as well. Other than that, there’s really not much else you can do.

“When we had the armed robbery they were in and out in 45 seconds — they know what they are doing.”

Mr Caines said anyone with information “about the planning, the execution and the subsequent activities” of yesterday’s incident has a duty to contact the police.

“It is clear that there are individuals among us, who are aware of the activities that are taking place and you must come forward,” he said.

“A viable option for those individuals who do not want to leave their name is the Crime Stoppers hotline. In some cases, there is a cash award associated.”

Witnesses or anybody with information should contact Sergeant Renay Rock on 295-0011 or the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.