Two teenage boys are recovering at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre after being shot in a Saturday night attack on South Street, in the latest burst of gun violence to grip the capital amid an already alarming wave of crime across Antigua and Barbuda.
What Happened
Police responded to reports of a shooting on South Street, in the vicinity of a tattoo shop, at around 9:10 p.m. on Saturday, June 27.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a 16-year-old from South Street and a 17-year-old from Villa were standing along the roadway when they observed two unknown males walking along Goodwin Street. The suspects were reportedly dressed in dark clothing and wearing hooded tops that concealed their faces.
According to police, one of the suspects allegedly opened fire, discharging several shots in the direction of the two teenagers before both gunmen fled the scene on foot.
The Victims
Both injured teenagers were transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre for treatment. Medical personnel have confirmed that the injuries sustained by both victims are not considered life-threatening. The pair remain under observation while receiving further medical care.
A Capital Under Siege
The South Street shooting adds to a deeply disturbing pattern of violence that has unsettled Antigua and Barbuda in recent weeks. The incident comes just days after a man was shot through his vehicle window on Dickenson Bay Street, and follows a litany of violent incidents across the capital — including the murder of Sheldon Dias in Mack Pond, the beating of two Russian sailors on Popeshead Street, multiple chain-snatching robberies, a knifepoint attack in Lower Ottos, and the assault of an 11-year-old child in Golden Grove Extension.
That two teenagers were the targets of Saturday’s shooting will deepen public anxiety about the involvement of young people in the cycle of gun violence, both as perpetrators and victims. It also places renewed pressure on the Royal Police Force’s recently launched Operation Iron Grip, the anti-crime initiative that Commissioner of Police Everton Jeffers has said is already yielding arrests, including in connection with firearms offences.
Appeal for Information
The Police Administration is appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could assist the investigation to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 462-3913 or 462-3914, or the Crimestoppers anonymous hotline at 800-TIPS (8477). Police said all information received will be treated in the strictest confidence.
