Shooting murder in Volga-Plage: 14th homicide of the year in Martinique
A man was shot dead on Sunday morning in Volga-Plage, Fort-de-France, bringing the number of homicides in Martinique to 14 since January 2026.
New murder in Volga-Plage, neighbourhood grieves on Mother's Day
A man was killed by gunfire on Sunday 31 May at around 6 o'clock in the morning in the Volga-Plage neighbourhood of Fort-de-France, according to la1ere.franceinfo.fr. The victim, discovered on rue de la Valmenière with serious gunshot wounds, did not survive despite the rapid intervention of emergency services.
According to several testimonies gathered at the scene, multiple gunshots rang out shortly before the incident. A person armed with a long gun was reportedly spotted in the area shortly before the body was discovered.
This murder comes less than twenty-four hours after another fatal shooting in François, and on Mother's Day itself.
"We have no solution"
Emotion ran high among residents of the neighbourhood. Joël, born and raised in Volga-Plage, spoke of his sadness:
"It is a great disappointment. My generation is suffering greatly to see young people killing each other like this. We do not have sufficient means to prevent them from reaching this point. This morning, as a gift we give to a mother: her son lying there with a bullet in his head, it is truly sad."
Despite the shock, he expressed his confidence in the neighbourhood's resilience: "This neighbourhood is resilient. It will recover and try to continue as we do with the associations, the elected representatives of Volga-Plage."
Josette Jacque, social support worker and municipal councillor, shared her bewilderment: "We did not expect that, especially in the middle of the public square. The population is stressed. We have the impression that young people will improve, but the actions contradict what I see on the ground. There is a sense of unease." She added: "We have no solution. The associations and elected representatives are trying to look into it, but we have work to do."
Another resident emphasised that violence is no longer confined to a single area: "Now, it is not just Volga, it is widespread throughout Martinique. Drugs are circulating with all the consequences that follow. Nobody can do anything, not even the politicians."
14 homicides in five months, 13 of them by firearm
With this new tragedy, Martinique has recorded 14 homicides since the beginning of 2026. Thirteen of them were committed using a firearm.
In the face of this upsurge in violence, the president of the Executive Council of the Martinique territorial collectivity, Serge Letchimy, expressed his concern on 28 May. He wishes to organise a security conference in July bringing together the State, Martinique, and several countries from the Caribbean and the Americas.
An inquiry has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the murder.
Source: Google News MQ — Crime