Modified firearms and gun violence drive 77% of Saint Lucia's 48 homicides in 2026
Firearms were used in 36 of the 48 homicides recorded in Saint Lucia between January and late September, police say. Officers also seized 46 guns and over 1,500 rounds of ammunition in the same period.
Modified guns fuelling Saint Lucia homicide toll, police warn
Firearms were used in 36 of the 48 homicides recorded in Saint Lucia between 1 January and 23 September this year, accounting for 77% of all killings on the island, St Lucia Times reports. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) presented the figures at its monthly press conference on Thursday.
Superintendent Delvin Mathurin, head of the Central Intelligence Unit and the Gangs, Narcotics and Firearms Unit, said officers remain seriously concerned about the sustained use of guns in both homicides and attempted murders. "The consistent use of firearms to perpetrate homicides and the attempted murders underscores the ongoing issue of the proliferation of weapons through our borders," Mathurin said. He added that the situation points to the need for stronger collaboration among agencies involved in firearm suppression.
The 48 homicides represent a reduction compared to the 59 recorded during the same period in 2025. Investigators have solved 22 of this year's cases, including one carried over from the previous year.
A notable trend identified by Mathurin is the growing preference among criminals for modified weapons. "These findings point to an ongoing trend where we see that criminals tend to prefer and have leaned to the modification of their firearms when they're trading guns, particularly through the use of the extended and high-capacity magazines," he said.
46 firearms recovered, including pistols and rifles
During the period under review, police recovered 46 firearms in total — 37 classified as lethal and nine as "less lethal." Pistols dominated the seizures, with 31 recovered. Officers also seized one rifle, four shotguns and one revolver, as well as three air rifles, two air pistols and a number of imitation firearms.
Alongside the weapons, police confiscated 1,580 rounds of live ammunition and 40 firearm-related components or accessories, among them 33 magazines, extended magazines and firearm receiver components. Mathurin said those seizures are providing investigators with greater insight into the types of weapons being used and traded across the island.
Male victims account for 94% of homicides
The homicide data also revealed a stark gender disparity among victims: males accounted for 94% of those killed, with five female victims recorded during the period.
Overall crime down by 474 cases
Beyond homicides and firearms offences, police recorded 10,061 crimes across Saint Lucia in the same nine-month span — 474 fewer than during the corresponding period in 2025. The Southern Division logged the highest number at 3,945, followed by the Central Division with 3,633 and the Northern Division with 2,483.
Among seven priority crime categories examined by police, burglaries totalled 321, robberies 131, drug offences 222, firearm offences 172, stolen motor vehicles 85, cases of stealing from a person 243, and sexual offences 136.
Source: St Lucia Times