Olympic sprinter shot dead during nightclub brawl in Bahamas

Bahamian sprinter and 2016 World Indoor silver medallist Shavez Hart was shot dead at a nightclub on Saturday morning in the Bahamas.

The police reported that the incident occurred after a fight in the parking lot of a local nightclub on Saturday at 2 a.m. Hart, a former sprinter for Texas A&M University, was shot in the chest while trying to break up the altercation.

He was rushed to a local clinic, but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The suspect was arrested and taken into police custody; an investigation is ongoing.

Hart was celebrating his 30th birthday.

The 400m Olympic champion from the Bahamas, Steven Gardiner, tweeted, “The tears will have to dry on their own,” and highlighted several tweets commemorating his friend and compatriot.

Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture the Hon. Mario K Bowleg extends condolences to Shavez Hart

It is with great sadness I join the sporting fraternity in expressing heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Shavez Hart, Olympian.

May his soul rest in peace pic.twitter.com/AjE84XT1uU

— Hon. Mario Bowleg (@BowlegHon) September 3, 2022

Hart was the second former Texas A&M track star to die this year. Deon Lendore, his former Texas A&M 4x400m teammate, died in an auto accident in January.

Hart was an eight-time national sprint champion over 100m and 200m from 2014 to 2019 and had a 100m personal best of 10.10 seconds, making him the second fastest Bahamian-born sprinter of all time. He earned a silver medal in the 4x400m at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland, Ore.

He also ran in the 100m and 200m at the 2016 Olympic Games, where he finished fifth and seventh in his heat, respectively.