Four people were killed and four others injured in a shooting near Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on Friday night. The attack has led police to increase security operations across the Caribbean nation as investigators work to identify those responsible.
The shooting happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. in the Green Hill area near Kingstown, Acting Police Commissioner Trevor Bailey said at a news conference Saturday.
When officers arrived, they found two victims dead on a public roadway. A woman was discovered inside a vehicle parked close to the scene, Bailey said.
A fourth victim was located on nearby property. Police said all four appeared to have died from gunshot wounds.
Four other people were transported to Milton Cato Memorial Hospital with shooting-related injuries. Two were later discharged, while the remaining two were still receiving treatment when police briefed reporters.
Assistant Police Commissioner Brenton Smith said detectives were focused on establishing who carried out the attack and urged the public not to draw conclusions while the investigation was still unfolding.
Authorities were also examining a separate shooting reported in Ottley Hall early Saturday. Investigators had not yet established whether that incident was connected to the deadly violence in Green Hill.
Smith stressed that any possible link would have to be determined through evidence collected by investigators, rather than rumors or unverified assumptions.
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The Green Hill killings come amid continuing concerns over gun violence and gang-related conflict in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Smith said the country has recorded 37 murders so far this year.
Bailey said police have encountered retaliatory attacks involving rival groups, but he stopped short of associating the latest killings with gang activity. Officials said the investigation had not advanced far enough to determine whether organized criminal groups played any role.
Police have expanded patrols, carried out random searches and launched intelligence-gathering operations in Kingstown and nearby communities. The efforts are aimed at locating illegal firearms and reducing the risk of further attacks.
Local news organization iWitness News said the Green Hill shooting was among several recent incidents in which multiple people were killed. In July, another shooting in Kingstown claimed three lives, the outlet reported.
iWitness News also published the names of the four people killed Friday, citing its own sources. Police had not formally confirmed or released the victims’ identities when the report appeared.
The deadly attack has drawn attention in a country widely marketed as a peaceful Caribbean escape and luxury tourism destination. St. Vincent and the Grenadines includes 32 islands and cays, promoted for sailing, beaches, coral reefs and private getaways.
Mustique, one of the archipelago’s inhabited islands, is especially associated with secluded villas and celebrity visitors. The wider island chain is also popular with yacht owners and sailing tourists.
Investigators are asking anyone with photographs, videos, surveillance recordings or information about suspicious people or vehicles linked to the shootings to come forward and contact police.
