Three gunmen robbed Super Value, West Bay Street, of a "substantial" amount of cash after 7.a.m. yesterday, police said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said the men who were armed with handguns accosted the store's manager, entered the establishment and fired several shots.

Shoppers were forced to take cover at the back of the store as the assailants held employees at bay and took cash.

Dean said the robbers fled the scene in a stolen Honda Stream.

Police were then put on alert and shortly after a high-speed chase ensued. It ended in Jones Heights, off East Street South, where there was an exchange of gunfire between police and the suspects.

Police said two of the suspects were shot.

One of them was caught and taken to hospital and the other two men fled on foot, police said.

Police recovered two handguns from the scene and the cash stolen from the food store, according to Dean.

"We can tell you based on additional information one of the suspects who we are looking for has been shot and we are saying to members of the public, if anyone turns up with a gunshot wound to you, do not hide them; any medical clinic, private medical clinic the police needs to be notified right away," he said.

"It is a serious offense to harbor anyone wanted by the police or anyone wanted for serious crimes.

"We can tell you that these are some dangerous persons who are out there.

"We are asking members of the public to turn these people in."

'We are not safe'
Several shoppers who were in the store during the incident posted about the ordeal on Facebook.

Former Free National Movement Chairman Darron Cash said he watched as the gunmen forced the store's manager into a room and shoppers ran to the back.

Cash said he and several other shoppers took cover in the women's bathroom.

He said initial calls to the police were unanswered but after several tries they were finally able to alert officers of what was happening.

"This morning's unfortunate event serves as another reminder that we can not believe the government's hype about crime," Cash said.

"We are not safe and our lives are under constant threat from armed thugs.

"This government does not have a handle on violent crime and each of us is a moment away from being a crime statistic and, once again, the political discussion is vacuous.

"Recently we got criticism from the leader of the opposition but no meaningful proposed solution, sad indeed."

Catherine Williams, another shopper, expressed shock in her Facebook post.

"What the hell is happening?," Williams asked.

"[I] was at Super Value West Bay this morning [7a.m.] when I heard two gunshots.

"[I] ran with all the other customers to the back of the store and hid in the warehouse area until we were told we could come down..."

Williams said she saw bullet shells scattered on the floor.

Dean vowed that police will catch the other two suspects.

"Our police will not let up; we will be on you; we will find you; we will deliver you to where you belong.

"The Bahamian people must have justice.

"We have reached a crossroad in our country.

"We can not continue to have people walking around believing that they can commit crimes and nothing happens to them.

"It's not going to continue. We are going to put a stop to it with the support of our Bahamian public."

He added that as the holiday season nears, residents should be more vigilant of their surroundings.

"We want people to go about their normal business," Dean said.

"We want you to be alert, be concerned about your environment.

"If you see a suspicious vehicle parked, people sitting in vehicles seeming to be watching or observing, we want you to call the police; it might not be anything, but we would rather come to a non-call as opposed to a fatal call."

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian