A man hunted by police in connection with the double shooting at Southside cinema was arrested in New York yesterday and is now awaiting extradition proceedings.

Jahmel Blakeney, son of Government Minister Glenn Blakeney, was arrested by US Marshals at 6.30 a.m. yesterday in a Brooklyn residence for the attempted murder of Renee Kuchler and Shaki Minors.

Blakeney, 28, was originally arrested in Bermuda in connection with the shooting outside Southside Cinema on November 13 2009, which left both victims in the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

At the time he was granted Police bail. He subsequently left the Island on November 30 and failed to return to answer his bail. The Bermuda Police Service then tracked him down to the New York residence.

To support the application for Blakeney's arrest overseas, information charging him with two counts of attempted murder was laid before the Bermuda Magistrates' Court on 26 April 2010.

An extradition request was then prepared by the Bermuda Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and served on the Justice Department in the US through diplomatic channels.

Yesterday, Chief Deputy Timothy Hogan, of the US Marshals Service, would not say how many officers arrested Blakeney in Brooklyn, but did say others were in the residence at the time of arrest.

At 5 p. m. local time he appeared before a US Magistrate Judge for a bail hearing. It was not clear by press time if he had been granted bail.

Speaking before the hearing, Mr. Hogan told The Royal Gazette: "He will then have the right to a hearing as to whether or not he is the Jahmel Blakeney wanted in Bermuda.

He can fight the extradition back to Bermuda."

If he chooses to contest the extradition it will be up to the US Courts to determine if there is sufficient evidence for Blakeney to be extradited.

If this happens this paper understands the Bermuda DPP will provide the US attorneys with evidence to support the charges through an affidavit.

If an extradition order is granted the US Government and Bermuda Government will have to come to an agreement as to whether US Marshals escort him to the Island or Bermudian officers fly to the US to escort Blakeney home. Within the last decade there have been a handful of extraditions from the US to Bermuda.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro said yesterday: "The arrest marks months of protracted Police investigations and significant efforts by the DPP, and it is anticipated that Blakeney will be before Bermuda courts in the near future to face the charges laid against him, and a co-defendant Sanchey Grant who has already been charged."

Grant, 19, was charged on April 22 with attempting to murder Ms Kuchler and Mr. Minors and two firearms offences.

Yesterday, Minister Blakeney told a press conference he was reserving comment on the arrest until he had spoken with his family members and "fully digested the news".

Blakeney's local lawyer Charles Richardson could not be contacted yesterday.