Seven people have been killed in two days of gun violence in the southern town of Vieux Fort in St Lucia.
The town, which serves as the island’s second capital, has been reduced to a ghost town as the blood-letting forced the closure of schools and the majority business places closing down on Saturday over safety concerns for staff and customers.
The authorities have been forced to seek regional police assistance in an attempt to stem the spiraling violence.
“It is time to act, and I ask for your support,” Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre said in an address to the nation on Saturday evening. “There will be some difficult decisions to be made, and some strong actions will be taken to deal with these cowards and criminals.”
The mayhem began on Thursday when two men and one woman was shot and killed in less than an hour in two separate incidents at a fisheries complex in Bruceville and Clarke Street in the town.
A nine-year-old child was injured in the incident at the fisheries complex.
On Friday evening police confirmed that two men were shot and killed in an area called West Side. Several spent shells were recovered from the scene of the incident which took place around 6:30 pm.
At about 8:30 that same night, a 43-year-old was shot in the neck, back, and shoulder in Bruceville. He was pronounced dead at hospital.
On Saturday morning at 6:55, another man died after he was shot multiple times on Luther King Street in the town.
Parish priest of Our Lady of Assumption in Vieux Fort, Dominican Fr. Elton Letang said everyone is affected by the ongoing violence.
“People are fearful for their lives, and that is seen with a drastic decrease in Mass attendance,” he told Dominica News Online on Sunday.
He said 80 to 85 percent of businesses were closed on Saturday.
“On a typical Saturday, one would hear music from bars and cars and people casual walking the streets,” he said. “And driving home from Saturday evening’s Mass brought back memories of COVID lockdown: no one on street. Not even a cat or a dog.”
Dominica News Online spoke to several individuals in the town on the matter. They all asked for anonymity due to the fearful environment the situation has created.
“It’s really bad down there,” one individual, who lives on Clarke Street, said. “Everybody is afraid, everybody. Not even dogs you seeing on the streets.”
Another individual claimed that some of the shootings took place in broad daylight in full view of witnesses.
“Them fellas walking around in daylight, fully masked with their guns,” she said. “Some of them are even barefoot.”
With residents bracing for more violence, PM Pierre has sought to calm fears.
He blamed the seven murders on apparent “reprisals to the killing of a well-known individual” and in is address to the nation, he assured St Lucians that his government is taking the matter seriously.
“I want to assure Saint Lucians that we continue to take the issue of gang warfare seriously,” he said. “We are working with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and the community to restore peace…”
Pierre stated that the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force responded immediately to the situation and has been deployed and stationed within the community for over 48 hours.
“Ammunition and firearms have been retrieved and persons arrested due to the tactical work of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force,” he said.
He outlined the following actions to be taken to arrest the situation in Vieux Fort:
- The Regional Security System [RSS] and other assets have been contacted and will be on the ground early next week
- 24-hour SSU Patrol is being deployed
- The police will be given more resources to assist in this upsurge of violence
- Special operations will be conducted by the police
- New Legislation will be enacted to deal with the suppression of crime
“This is our country and we’ll prevail,” Pierre said.
For residents on the ground in the town, peace cannot come sooner.
“We cannot continue like this,” one individual said. “Vieux Fort is too small for all that.”
We are not quite there as yet but we not far either. Skerrit has so badly destroyed the country and has installed a gangster police force to protect him that it will just a matter of time before we get there if we don’t get rid of Chi Chi bang bang
@ Chi chi son, I tried to give you a thumbs up but my finger hit the wrong button
Though we are not quite at that level of depravity on the Nature Isle, all the warnings signs are laid bare in the open for all to see.
Our second town, Portsmouth, or even our capital, Roseau, may not be under seige or in virtual lockdown; however, we certainly must be on heightened alert and operate with a sense due urgerncy on all criminal related matters.
Crime and terror may not be a respecter of political administrations, parties or countries; however, elected goverments are ultimately responsible for mitigating existing and predictable conditions that inevitably manifest itself in OK Corral like calaminity we are now witnessing in St. Lucia.
We can only imagine the emotional trauma and pain the families of this senseless violence have to bear. As a region, all our hearts should be aching at this moment for our brothers and sisters in St. Lucia.
Having said that, successive administrations in S. Lucia have dropped the proverbial ball. Crime has been allowed to fester for at least two consecutive decades. The lesson learnt here is that we have a collective duty, government and the whole of civil society, to stop criminal activity at its infancy stage.
Crime does not discriminate no matter your social status, political affiliation, your race or your religion. It behooves all in society to make a genuine effort to stamp it out.
” He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it.”
Why are guns so easily obtained in the Caribbean? Are unscrupulous politicians arming some gang members??????
I can remember this was obtained in Jamaica in the 70’s and 80’s… If so it will boomerang to bite in the butt..
What about the blue barrel of guns mr commissioner? Have you arrested the owner?
In the 70’s there were two gangs in Roseau,Howlins and Kaypassa.The police at the time,without the help of foreign intervention,successfully destroyed defeated and crippled the gangs.The police also went after the dreads(not rastas) with a vengeance and drove them from the bush back to society.The last incident was in Bells,when the police set up a deliberate ambush and 4 dreads were shot dead.In December 1981 one(1) police officer and two(2) members of the DDF were shot dead.The other six(6) members of the DDF were on the police list for execution,the group tasked with the executions did not meet the DDF.In those there was no political interference in the force.There was a brotherhood, an Esprit de corps and a gang of half MAD no nonsense,rebel police officers in the force.In 1983 the police went to Grenada after the PM of Grenada was executed.In 1984,34 police officers were trained as soldiers by the 7th Special Forces Group Airborne Division from Forte Bragg.UWP destroyed the…
We don’t need soldiers or militia. We need a good Independent police force. That’s what we need. But unfortunately we won’t get that as long as Skerrit is in power because he knows, an independent police force means the end of his power and new accommodation at Stockfarm. It’s as simple as that.
Usual garbage!!
What did UWP in 1995 destroy?
@ If we knew better
Absolutely NOTHING!!
I will begin by extending my sympathies to those who have lost their loved ones in these senseless acts of violence. However, this is the price we pay for hypocrisy and upholding of wrong. I am not sure how many people recall a similar season in St. Lucia several years ago which forced police to take drastic action. This action taken by police led to St. Lucians demonstrating in the streets, asking for the human rights of these criminals to be respected. My adopted homeland placed sanctions on St Lucian and even revoked the visa of the then minister of national security.
My people, do not cover up for criminals, do not harbor them, do not support them in anyway. If we are to enjoy our lives normally, criminals must be made to feel uncomfortable among us.
I’m all for law enforcement to crack down without fear or favour on all crimes most particularly murder. However, I would never support the killing of one innocent person in order to lower the crime rate.
Galileo, if your only law abiding son, coming from a football practice, happen to be mistaken for a gang member because he was wearing a hoodie and was shot dead by the police. Would you accept the fact that it was done to try to lower the crime rate?
Let’s not kill innocent citizens in our over exuberance to curtail the high murder rate.
Are you serious or you just joking? And when law enforcement in Dominica try to crackdown on these thugs and criminals on the streets you call them the brutal mongoose gang from Chile and China. You and Francisco Telemakak never cease to amaze me.
Extremely unfortunate and troubling developments. Are we now witnessing the fruits of certain ideological & behavioural seeds that were ‘sown, watered & fertilized’ over the past 20-30 years in the soul, psyche, culture & mindset of the society?
By the way, when will Black Lives Matter (US/Global), Black Lives Matter (the Dominica branch) and Black Lives Matter (the St Lucia branch if one exists there) put out press releases condemning these persistent black-on-black crimes and call for immediate protest action against these black-on-black murders?
Why is the Black Lives Matter movement conveniently silent re: black-on-black crimes?
Black Lives ought to Matter as well when blacks destroy each other……..right???
….. or is it that Black Lives only Matter when one rogue white police officer in the USA (out of the thousands of good white police officers) is involved in or is responsible for the death of a black person?
What does the Black Lives Matter movement in the US have to do with crimes in these Caribbean countries? Stop with your ridiculous nonsense of trying to twin Black Lives Matter (US) with your asininity.
Some of you want Blacks to be like sitting ducks to racist verbal and physical abuse plus injustice. Everything black people try people like you come with your scorched earth vilification.
I totally agree with your comment, Channel 1. The Black Lives Matter movement is a total joke and only exists when a rogue white cop in America kills a “Black criminal” with a lengthy record. They are silent on all these black-on-black crimes which indirectly sends the message that it’s not a big deal when we kill each other. Where is the same outrage when we kill one of our own?
It is time that the so called “black leaders” speak out and speak out forcefully against this type of behavior if they’re to make a difference in their communities. Failure to do so will only result in more bloodshed.
Unfortunately, our Caribbean brothers now appear to be following in the footsteps of these misguided African American brothers (LOSERS) hence the reason for the uptick in all these violent crimes in the islands.
I do hope that our Caribbean leaders can address this growing problem before it totally gets out of control.
@Mark – Well done. You have assessed the situation quite well and your points are valid.
The police forces in some of these islands have gotten too involved in politics and turned a blind eye to the increase in gang and gun related activities. They are busy trying to kiss butt to get position and not doing thier work. St. Lucia did not just get guns and gangs over night.
Right on point Shaka. These police officers have their objectives and loyalty misplaced. Instead of serving and protecting the people they serve, protect and genuflect to the person at the top of the food chain. Promotion over protection.
After calling them brutal mongoose gangs, they have no choice but to turn their back on criminals and gang activities in the islands. It is people like you who have other people immersed in that quagmire.