Four killed in St Vincent mass shooting as minister says government may seek regional help
Security Minister St Clair Leacock says curfews and help from the Regional Security System are possible after the Green Hill attack.
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent. Gunmen killed four people and seriously injured three others at Green Hill, just outside the capital, at the weekend, in what police say is the third deadly mass shooting in St Vincent and the Grenadines in recent years.
Security Minister St Clair Leacock said the government might have to turn to neighbouring islands and the Regional Security System (RSS) for help hunting down heavily armed gangs.
He warned that the administration of Prime Minister Godwin Friday might be forced to impose limited curfews in particular districts and call for help from the RSS, specifically the Barbados Defence Force or the Guyana Defence Force, with ground operations.
Officials fear that the country, not long ago named by international travel magazines as a safe destination, could deter tourists if gang activity is not crushed.
"We have to do something about that because we don't want to get to that point in which the tourists don't come," Mr Leacock said. "It's a balancing act."
Rising toll
The shooting near a popular bar is the latest of several in recent years. Two months ago, gunmen killed three people opposite one of the island's main police barracks, and in July 2023 assailants killed five people near a popular nightclub.
The murder toll for this year had reached 39 by Tuesday, compared with 40 for the whole of last year.
Police appealed to "persons who may have witnessed suspicious activity or who possess relevant video footage, photographs or other information" to come forward, and urged the public "to avoid circulating speculation or unverified information while the investigation remains active."
