During a Facebook Live broadcast from his Hollywood, Florida apartment, Sylvens Metayer, a Bahamian whistleblower who has been outspoken about alleged police corruption in the Bahamas, was shot when his live stream was violently interrupted by gunfire. According to NBC Miami, Metayer was discussing social and political issues over an hour into his stream on Monday when bullets shattered the window behind him.
"I got shot in the face, right here," Metayer stated in the aftermath of the attack, suggesting the perpetrators had nefarious intentions, "Hey y’all sending a hit out on me." The chilling incident was witnessed by viewers as bullets pockmarked the apartment's walls, and floors, even as a baby's cries and a woman's voice, calling for help could be heard in the background. Metayer, who had leaked incriminating voice notes implicating a top Bahamian police official in a bribery scheme, feared retribution. "I got issues with the Bahamian government," he conveyed to a first responder, as reported by NBC Miami.
Investigators, who returned to the apartment complex yesterday afternoon, have yet to determine the motive or identify suspects responsible for the shooting. However, Metayer sustained injuries, including a graze from bullets to his face and back, besides being shot in the foot. In the chaotic scene captured on the live stream, a woman's voice is heard explaining to a 911 dispatcher that Metayer was shot and needed an ambulance, as mentioned in a report by the New York Post.
Hollywood Police have issued a call for any information regarding the shooting, asking the public to contact them at 954-764-4357. The victim, known for his conspiracy theories along with social and political commentary, was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries. With the aggressive nature of the attack broadcast live, questions about the safety of whistleblowers and the lengths to which individuals may go to silence them remain alarmingly present.
