Olympic Sprinter Shavez Hart Dead at 29 After Shooting Outside Bahamas Nightclub

Natasha Dye
·3 min read
7
havez Hart of the Bahamas (C) reacts after a false start in the Men's 100 metres heatson day four of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Carrara Stadium on April 8, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia.
havez Hart of the Bahamas (C) reacts after a false start in the Men's 100 metres heatson day four of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Carrara Stadium on April 8, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia.
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Michael Dodge/Getty Olympic sprinter Shavez Hart

Olympian Shavez Hart was shot and killed outside of a Bahamas nightclub over the weekend, TMZ Sports reported. He was 29 years old.

The shooting took place at roughly 2 a.m. on Saturday in the parking lot of a nightclub in Mount Hope, North Abaco, according to TMZ Sports. Police reported that Hart, a former sprinter for Texas A&M University, was shot in the chest while trying to break up a fight.

He was transported to the Marsh Harbor Clinic, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation remains ongoing as of Tuesday morning, but an arrest has been made in connection to the case, per TMZ Sports.

Antoine Adams of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Shavez Hart of Bahamas and Akani Simbine of South Africa compete in the Men's 100 metres heats during Day One of the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships Moscow 2013 at Luzhniki Stadium on August 10, 2013 in Moscow, Russia.
Antoine Adams of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Shavez Hart of Bahamas and Akani Simbine of South Africa compete in the Men's 100 metres heats during Day One of the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships Moscow 2013 at Luzhniki Stadium on August 10, 2013 in Moscow, Russia.

Paul Gilham/Getty

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The Bahamas Olympic Committee issued a statement following Hart's passing. "The Olympic family is saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Shavez Hart, a proud native of Abaco. He was always very humble, yet proud and determined to offer the very best of himself for the sake of country."

Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Philip Brave Davis, addressed the shooting on social media. "On behalf of my family and the people of The Bahamas, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Shavez Hart. As a country, we've been blessed to have had an amazing athlete carry our flag worldwide. Ann and I will keep the family of Shavez in our thoughts and prayers."

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Hart's friends and former coaches honored the Olympian after the news broke. His former coach at Texas A&M, Pat Henry, said he was heartbroken over the loss.

"This is so tragic. Shavez Hart was of course one of our finest athletes ever, but he was one of the kindest people I have met, and such a soft-spoken man," Henry said in a statement. "Words can't describe the loss that the Aggie track and field family is feeling. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

"Waking up to absolutely devastating news that one of my former athletes Shavez Hart was shot and killed last night in the Bahamas," wrote his former South Plains College coach, Blaine Wiley. "I had the honor of coaching 'Sparkie' at South Plains College where he remains the school record holder and won many NJCAA championships. RIP."

World Athletic Center sprint coach Stuart McMillan called the tragedy "devastating."

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Hart was an eight-time Bahamas national sprint champion, with four wins in both the 100 and 400 meters, and medals in various tournaments including the Pan-Am Under-2 Championships and CAC Championships. In 2016, Hart represented the Bahamas in Rio, Brazil, at the Olympic Games. Also that year, he won the silver medal at the World Indoor Championship in the 4x400 relay competition.