As of August 11, there have been no reported arrests in relation to the mass shooting incident that occurred on July 19, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent (SVG).
According to Colin John, the police commissioner of SVG, during an interview on BOOM FM on Thursday, August 3rd, detectives are actively pursuing leads and have requested assistance from overseas entities.
“The police have followed certain leads and have arrested several persons, interviewed them, and cautioned them. So far, no charge has been laid against anyone, and those arrested have been released. Also, we have sought assistance regionally and internationally to assist in the investigations”.
According to John, the police must meet the specified criteria outlined in the guidance for prosecutors in order to initiate charges against an individual.
“You have to be able to support and sustain a charge. With what we have so far, I don’t think there is sufficient evidence to support and sustain a charge before the court”.
Commissioner John, during his appearance on Boom FM, urged persons to step forward if they possess any pertinent information.
“It is quite clear that members of the public have information, and we are asking them to come forward and give it to the police so that they can assist us in solving this crime”.
Regarding the matter of mass shootings perpetrated by foreign individuals, John refrained from offering a direct comment. Nevertheless, he indicated that detectives are diligently pursuing all potential leads and exhaustively examining every aspect of the case in order to uncover the underlying causes of these tragic incidents.
On July 23, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who holds the position of both Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, announced that the Regional Security System (RSS) and Canadian Authorities will provide support to the St. Vincent police in their investigation of the mass shooting that occurred on Wednesday, July 19, in the Harbor Club area of Kingstown.
According to Gonsalves, the assistance provided would primarily involve technical aspects.
The incident resulted in the fatalities of Lamont Hector from Pauls Avenue, Dondre Hillocks from Long Wall/Belmont, Jamal Bobb from Ottley Hall, Ricky Taylor from Long Wall, and Kashie Primus from Long Wall, who was a 13-year-old student.
According to John, the general public can be reassured based on their investigation and information that there is generally no need for fear.
