Fatal shootings in Capesterre-Belle-Eau: two dead and four wounded
In the evening of 30 June, a gun attack took place near a drinks establishment in the town of Capesterre-Belle-Eau. Two residents succumbed to their injuries. Four other individuals, including a minor, were hit.
Fatal shootings in Capesterre-Belle-Eau: two dead and four wounded
Around 19:20 on Tuesday 30 June, gunfire erupted outside a café in the Brest neighbourhood, located in the locality of Capesterre-Belle-Eau. The attack claimed the lives of two residents of the area. Four other people were struck by bullets, among them a young child. The entire local population is in shock.
Stéphanie Bazart, the magistrate leading the public prosecutor's office in Basse-Terre, confirmed the facts to the press, including 20 Minutes. According to her statement, several shots rang out outside the establishment. The two fatal victims are women. The four wounded were transported to a medical centre; some are suffering from injuries described as serious.
Police judicial officers have been appointed to conduct the investigation. A judicial inquiry has been opened for unpremeditated homicide. It will need to establish the true motivations and reconstruct the exact sequence of events. The initial evidence collected by investigators points towards a conflict linked to illicit drug trafficking.
Following this tragedy, the municipal council decided against organising the parish fair initially scheduled for the evening of 1 July. The mayor, Jean-Philippe Courtois, spoke on Radio Caraïbes International to call for stronger action against the spread of firearms on the territory. Jocelyn Sapotille, president of the association bringing together the island's mayors, issued a call for collective action, involving the public authorities, citizens, families and local representatives.
Leaders of the island section of the Socialist Party also reacted, condemning the aggravating role of drug trafficking in this matter.
A senior official from the prefectural administration expressed optimism about the arrest of those responsible. He highlighted the high percentage of crimes solved in the archipelago and issued a warning to those on the run: they will not go unpunished.
This shooting illustrates the deteriorating security situation facing Guadeloupe and Martinique. The two territories face a massive influx of weapons and prohibited substances. Their geographical position, between South America, North America and Europe, makes them a prime crossroads for criminal networks specialised in drug trafficking.
Source: Google News GP — Crime