Tensions have escalated following the killing of Shem Peter last Thursday.
Tensions between rival factions in the Morne Du Don/Bois Patat area in Castries have heated up with a shooting at about 11 a.m. Sunday.
Reports are that gunmen fired shots at a man who was allegedly present when Peter’s was murdered. The man, who is reported to be one of Peter’s cousin, was riding his bike when shots were fired at him.
Police are now in the area.
This is the second reported gun attack following Peter’s demise on Thursday, Sept 5, 2013.
St. Lucia News Online understands that shortly after police left the scene of Peter’s homicide last Thursday, an attack involving gas bombs and gun shots, were directed at the house of the man who was with Peter when he was attacked. He escaped.
According to sources, the person or persons responsible for killing Peter are allegedly trying to eliminate witnesses or anyone aligned to a particular faction.
Sources say the latest homicide may have triggered another gang war that residents thought were on the calm after several months of peace.
Now that the tensions have erupted again, persons from ‘opposing sides’ are in danger of crossing each others ‘border’, regardless of their innocence.
Residents are pleading to the police to keep a presence in the community to avoid further bloodshed as the hoodlums usually return whenever the law men have left.
However, sources say police are operating with restraint and caution following the United States’ decision recently to disallow officers of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force from participating in training programmes arranged or financed by the United States – an issue with stemmed from the killing of 12 persons by police officers between 2010 and 2011 under what was described then as “Operation Restore Confidence”.
“Yesterday, I was also advised that the United States has gone one step further and suspended all assistance to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force,” said Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony during an address, entitled “An Unhappy Episode”, to the nation on Aug. 20, in response to the ban.
Despite this bad news, Police Commissioner Vernon Francois, who is also affected by the US ban, has said criminals should not take this as a sign that the police are down and out.