Turks And Caicos Boosts Police Presence After Killing Of Arlington Man

ARLINGTON, VA — The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands is assigning rapid response security teams to areas with high crime rates as part of an effort to enhance public safety after an Arlington NAACP official was killed on Oct. 2 in an armed attack on the vehicle in which he was riding.

Kent Carter, a Realtor with Keller Williams Metro Center and first vice president of the NAACP Arlington Branch, was vacationing on the islands for his 40th birthday with his girlfriend, who survived the shooting. The two were on a hotel shuttle heading back from the beach when the shooting happened, according to reports. A staff member was also killed in the shooting, and three other people were wounded in the attack.

Police said they found the vehicle that was used in the attack. One of the suspects in Carter’s fatal shooting was killed in a shootout with police, according to reports.

In a statement Monday, the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands said it continues to mourn those who lost their lives “due to recent gang-related activity” and is “working with local organizations to provide assistance to the families.”

The government said it is increasing police visibility across the Turks and Caicos Islands, expanding collaboration within security forces regionally and internationally, assigning rapid response teams to affected areas, and focusing the force’s efforts on deterring criminal activities and identifying those responsible for crime.

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“The Government extends its gratitude to the police for their courage in the face of this new challenge and thanks our regional neighbours and those from other countries who are supporting this critical effort,” Turks and Caicos Islands’ Premier Charles Washington Misick said in a statement.

“To put an end to criminal activity, I am encouraging collaboration between our residents, the Government and police force, resorts and hotels, and visitors alike," Misick said. "Through collective, coordinated efforts, the Turks and Caicos Islands will remain a safe and comfortable place to live and visit.”

Keller Williams Metro Center, where Carter worked, is holding a fundraiser to help his family. “This fund is to support his family with immediate expenses and yet mostly to support his 14-year-old daughter for her current and future education expenses and passions,” the real-estate agency said on the GoFundMe campaign page.

Carter, an activist and philanthropist, was “well known for his dedication to, and uplifting of, our community,” the NAACP Arlington Branch said in a statement. He had been involved with the group for nearly 10 years and was that branch’s vice president for four years.