Kent Carter, the head of the NAACP’s Arlington, Virginia chapter, was fatally gunned down on Oct. 2. The incident happened in Turks and Caicos while he was celebrating his 40th birthday on vacation.
Sources say Carter, along with several other tourists, was unfortunately caught in the crosshairs of a gang-related shooting. Multiple individuals were seriously injured and at least two others died in the incident. Police shared that Carter was traveling back to his hotel after an excursion with tourists and staff when gunmen “proceeded to indiscriminately shoot” into their vehicle.
During a press conference to discuss the unfortunate Turks and Caicos shooting, Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting shared a statement. “I believe the attack was targeted and carried out by armed gang members who act without conscience, who have no regard for life and who are hell-bent on causing indiscriminate harm and misery across the TCI,” Botting began.
He continued, “This violence is linked to drug supply and is fueled by revenge, turf wars and retribution.” Turks and Caicos Premier Washington Misick’s office disagreed in a statement saying the attack was “rare and does not reflect who we are as a people.” They added that the shooting was “not one in which the victim was targeted.”
Yesterday (Oct. 5), the NAACP’s Arlington branch shared a message regarding the Turks and Caicos tragedy. “Notification of Loss — NAACP Arlington Branch mourns the tragic and unexpected loss of our [first] vice president, Kent Carter, who passed away Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, while vacationing abroad,” the organization shared in a tweet.
Fellow NAACP leader Derrick Johnson also expressed his condolences. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Kent Carter — a father, a veteran, and the vice president of the NAACP’s Arlington branch. This news is painful for our NAACP family. We are sending condolences to his loved ones and are thinking of them during this difficult time,” he said of the Turks and Caicos-related loss.
See related tweets below.