Prime Minister Allen Chastanet
Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said he was brought to tears as a result of the homicides over the weekend.
In a post on his Facebook page, Chastanet said he will be meeting with the police and the ministry responsible for social and family development to “see how best we can deal with this alarming situation”.
“It is heart-breaking to have learned that the lives of five young persons were cut short over the weekend. It really brings me to tears to know that we would rather resort to violence to resolve our differences than to seek help from the relevant authorities,” he wrote.
“My heart goes out to the families of these young men. God alone knows what they are going through. No parent should have to bury their children as a result of such violence.”
The meeting with the authorities would have taken place on Monday, according to Chastanet’s post.
“I will keep you informed about the discussion as the week progresses,” he promised.
Five people were killed in violence across the island on Sunday.
Thirty-nine-year-old Yves Rene, aka Nazarene, was shot and killed in Marigot by police in the morning; three men – 37-year-old Gillan Charles aka Gideon, 16-year-old Dequan Joseph and Kyle Richard – were fatally shot by gunmen in Bois Den, Jacmel in the late afternoon while doing a BBQ at a garage, while 25-year-old Dillan Joseph was stabbed to death, allegedly by his girlfriend in Grand Riviere, Gros Islet in the evening.
On Monday, a man identified as Urias Anthony aka Outclear, of Jacmel, was fatally shot in Bois Patat, Castries.
St. Lucia has recorded eight homicides since the start of 2017.
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