One person was killed and two others injured in what police are describing as a “targeted” shooting in Sandy Ground on Sunday evening.
The incident occurred on Road Well Road next to Road Salt Pond at about 9.40pm on 11 August, according to a Facebook post from the Royal Anguilla Police Force.
At the time, hundreds of spectators were at the Anguilla Summer Festival closing ceremony which was held in the area.
“Tragically, one person is deceased, and two others are currently receiving medical attention for gunshot wounds,” police said.
“Our officers responded quickly, and the scene is now cordoned off as investigations continue.”
The post added that the shooting appears to be a “targeted incident involving individuals not from Anguilla”.
Following a request for further information, a police spokesperson told Anguilla Focus that the victim’s details cannot be released until contact has been made with their next of kin.
They added that no arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with information on this or any other incident can call 911, (264) 497-2333 or 497-5333, or leave an anonymous message on the confidential website at www.gov.ai/911
Information from the website is stored in a secure location in California in the United States of America and access to it is tightly controlled.
Tainted celebration
In a Facebook post on 12 August, Governor Julia Crouch said it was “awful” to hear of another shooting.
“Those involved demonstrated a callous disregard for the safety of the public and the sanctity of human life. One person was killed and two people were left with gunshot wounds,” she said.
“It also tainted what had been a fantastic two weeks of celebration and pride in the best of Anguilla’s culture and heritage.”
https://www.facebook.com/goanguilla/posts/pfbid0ctQWZ7fVoYiWKqTqJvTypKSdcDAUBpZ27b34fPJskKLk1dYT6CjaTVzFZWDwyWdNl
The governor said she was extremely grateful for the tireless work of the police force which has been working with other law enforcement agencies and security personnel to keep residents and visitors safe.
She added that the force is now actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiries to bring those responsible to justice.
“I’m confident no stone will be left unturned,” the governor said.
Crime wave
The latest shooting death is the seventh in Anguilla this year and the fifth since the beginning of July.
Police fatally shot a 19-year-old from Rey Hill during a suspected armed robbery at Island Supermarket in White Hill sometime after 4.45pm on 7 July.
The police force said on 8 July that it had launched an investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident. Details of that investigation have yet to be released.
Twenty-six-year-old Jhareem Carter was killed in a shooting on Long Bay Road sometime around 11.30pm on 10 July.
During a government press conference on 15 July, Acting Commissioner of Police Haslyn Patterson said there had been a fatality in Blowing Point on 14 July.
A second person was wounded, he told viewers of the live broadcast. Police later confirmed the victim was male, aged 26 and from Blowing Point .
A 33-year-old from Bad Cox Pond was shot and killed at about 10.40am on 19 July in a vehicle outside the Anguilla Courthouse, which he was due to attend that morning.
Anguilla Focus requested the names of the shooting victims on 21 July, but police refused, saying: “Please note that for security purposes, the names of some of the victims were not released.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was updated at 6pm on 12 August to include the governor’s comment.
