The island’s homicide rate rocketed over the Easter weekend when gunmen in Vieux Fort shot and killed four persons, the youngest being a two-year-old boy.
The recent killings spanned from Saturday, April 8, 2023 to Sunday, April 9, 2023.
According to police about 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, 2023, officers attached to the Southern Division were alerted to a shooting at Cedar Heights, Vieux Fort, where 18-year-old Adan Mc Farlan was fatally shot in a drive by incident.
Shortly thereafter, officers were summoned to the scene of a second shooting in Westhall Group, Vieux Fort where they later confirmed there were two fatalities. Tara Joseph 47-years-old and Kentrell Joseph 2-years-old sustained gunshot injuries about their bodies, after unknown assailants shot into the residence they occupied.
Media outlets reported that both victims sustained multiple bullets wounds to the body, with at least one media house claiming that the toddler received eight bullets to the body.
On Sunday, April 9, 2023, officers responded to a shooting at Bruceville, Vieux Fort, where a medical practitioner confirmed the victim, Nicole Charles, 47, of Bruceville, Vieux Fort, succumbed following the incident.
“The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force maintains a presence in the southern sector of both local and regional personnel (Regional Security System), as well as sustained police operations in the Southern division. Several arrests have been affected during the surge of gun violence in the area, which have resulted in the commencement of judicial proceedings in relation to Homicides, Possession of Firearms and Ammunition and other serious offences,” stated a press release from police.
“We continue to realize successes with information being transmitted via the Crime Hotline (555) and other avenues, which have not only lead to arrests, but averting criminal acts, which have been critical in our efforts to avoid further loss of life.
“We wish to implore members of the public to continue supporting our crime fighting efforts and encourage others to contribute meaningfully in our nationwide fight against crime. As we are currently observing, no one is immune from crime and its effects.
“We also wish to extend condolences to the impacted families and remind the general public that the only real solution is one that encompasses efforts by us all,” the release stated.