BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A family is this morning grappling with heartbreak after an 18-year-old student became the latest victim of gun violence in the Federation, reigniting concerns over the flow of illegal firearms.
Police confirmed in an early morning statement that they are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred late Saturday night (Sept. 13) in College Housing. The victim, a student of Washington Archibald High School, has not yet been officially identified.
Investigators described the case as “active and ongoing” and promised to release additional details in a formal statement.
This tragedy comes just days after police uncovered a cache of illegal weapons and ammunition in Saddlers. On September 9, officers conducting a yard search discovered two bags containing multiple firearms, magazines, and ammunition. Among the items seized were a Mac-10 with a magazine and five rounds of .380 ammunition, another firearm with two magazines—one loaded with six rounds of .45 ammunition—and 15 additional rounds of .45 ammunition.
The find adds to growing unease over the steady presence of guns on the streets. In recent weeks, weapons have been brandished in several incidents, despite intensified enforcement efforts.
Authorities have repeatedly stressed that neither the Federation nor the wider Caribbean manufactures firearms or ammunition, raising pressing questions about how these weapons continue to flow into the region, largely from the United States.
In response, the government has toughened penalties for illegal possession, and several individuals have recently been charged in connection with firearm and ammunition offences.
Update: Police confirmed that the young man is Dominican.
