A Bahamian whistleblower, Sylvens Metayer, was shot during a Facebook Live stream from his Florida apartment on Monday. Metayer, who had exposed alleged corruption by a top police official in the Bahamas, was 80 minutes into his broadcast discussing living conditions in the U.S. when gunfire erupted.
According to NBC Miami, at least seven shots were fired, and Metayer was struck and dropped to the ground. “I got shot in the face, right here,” Metayer said after he grabbed his phone and moved to a different room. “Hey, y’all sending a hit out on me.”
During the incident, a baby can be heard crying as Metayer’s girlfriend called 911, urgently requesting an ambulance. Metayer revealed a gunshot wound to his left cheek and bloodstains on his shorts.
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“They got me bro,” he says in the video before first responders arrived. “It looks like he got grazed in the face, shot in the foot and looks like maybe he got grazed in the back too,” one officer can be heard saying.
Metayer is a well-known figure in the Bahamas for his Facebook commentary on conspiracy theories and allegations about the nation. He recently accused Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson of negotiating bribes with a wanted criminal, according to the Miami Herald. Metayer released alleged voice notes of Johnson, sparking public distrust in the police force, the Nassau Guardian reported.
The recordings purportedly feature a wanted suspect negotiating his surrender and release. As a result, the Security and Intelligence Branch of the Royal Bahamas Police Force opened an investigation into Johnson’s alleged corruption, placing him on paid leave.
“We have heard the recordings of phone calls on social media recordings and the investigation is already underway to determine the reliability; to understand when, where, and by whom they were made; identify all voices; and explore clues in the surrounding sounds,” Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said, according to the outlet.
“We understand fully that this case affects public trust … and confidence within the Royal Bahamas Police Force,” Fernander said.
Fernander assured the probe would be “independent, impartial and fair,” and the case would “not disappear out the backdoor.” The source of Metayer’s voice notes remains unclear, but the shooting occurred hours after the investigation was announced.
U.S. and UK law enforcement agencies are aiding the Security and Intelligence Branch in the probe, the Nassau Guardian reported. Metayer informed first responders that he was live streaming when the bullets struck.
“The FBI know I’m here, I got issue with the Bahamian government, I made the newspaper today so they probably sent somebody to kill me,” he said.
Metayer was assisted off the ground and taken to the hospital for treatment, while his livestream continued for another hour. Investigators have not disclosed a motive or identified any suspects in the shooting, NBC Miami reported.
