Man shot dead in Abaco

A man was shot dead outside an Abaco nightclub earlier this morning, police said.

The victim has been identified as Olympian Chavez Hart.

Police say Hart was one of a group of men who assaulted him in the parking lot of his business in Mount Hope, North Abaco, around 2 a.m.

Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said one of the men left and later returned with a weapon. Police said the man shot Hart in the chest.

Hart was taken to Marsh Harbor Clinic and pronounced dead.

The suspect was arrested and detained.

Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Mario Borreg expressed his condolences to Hart’s family in a statement.

“It is with great sadness that I join the sports fraternity to express my deepest condolences to the family of the late Chavez Hart,” he said.

“A graduate of Texas A&M University, Hart pursued a career in track and field, running under the PUMA brand at the professional level. As a junior athlete, he represented the Bahamas at the Kalifta Games and the Junior Pan American Games.

“Hart’s 100 m personal best was 10.10, making him the third fastest Bahamian ever in the event.”