The shooting of 24-year-old Mitchel Jean on May 29 was the 36th homicide this year, continuing a pattern that many communities on the island are all too familiar with.
Every case is unique, but the steady loss of life has become a worrying part of 2026. The data shows that Saint Lucia is experiencing about one homicide every four days, with many victims being young people.
The statistics come as police report an overall reduction in “serious” crime. Still, homicides and “attempted murders” continue to be a persistent concern for the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. Even so, Assistant Commissioner of Police Luke Defreitas says investigators have been making steady progress.
“To investigate thirty-five murders in the space of five months and to be able to bring seventeen of them to some sort of resolution, arresting twenty-two persons does take an immense amount of effort and I will continue to underscore that point,” he emphasised.
Illegal guns remain the main weapon in homicides on the island. Police report that 25 of the 36 killings this year involved firearms.
Nine of the homicides were stabbings, and two deaths resulted from blunt force trauma.
At the same time, police say they are working to remove illegal weapons from the streets. From January 1 to May 28, officers recovered 30 firearms and 25 related parts.
Even with these recoveries and progress in investigations, the high number of homicides is a clear reminder of the challenges facing police, families and communities.
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