Gun violence which on Thursday claimed the lives of two men and a woman and injured a 9-year-old boy in Vieux Fort, has forced the closure of schools in the Southern town.
The Ministry of Education, in a release on Friday, cited ‘the current unstable environment’ in Vieux Fort in announcing the closure of the Beanefield Comprehensive Secondary, Beanefield Post Secondary, Vieux Fort Primary, Vieux Infant and Vieux Fort Special Education Center.
The Ministry said the institutions would be closed on Friday, March 10.
According to the Ministry, the decision came after consultation with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF).
It apologised for any inconvenience caused and advised parents and guardians to make all necessary arrangements to keep themselves and their children safe.
Headline photo: Police on the scene in Vieux Fort
“That will be the day” has arrived. School closure due to gun violence is here. What other facilities will be closed? It’s a moment to think deeply about what we are becoming. Pierre has yet to address the nation about the spiraling situation…scaredy cat.
From day one, it was a real bad idea to release illegal gun owners. Once let out, they don’t join the church choir, Pierre. They rearm and stir up the pot. Pierre fails to recognize the effects of his weak strategy. Furthermore, releasing gunslingers is a bad example in itself, if you are trying to convey a tough message.
The deck is stacked against Pierre. The police has an abysmal rate of detection and apprehension. He needs to close the loop where he can. Maybe his failure to act is in keeping with he his people first mantra. You never know.
That should never happen. If the police can’t handle the situation maybe it’s time to get outside help. These criminals cannot be allowed to hold people hostage
Imagine that. These are the kinds of reactions you see in war zones like Ukraine, Iraq and Syria. The people in VF are being held hostage by terrorist groups and the government has no means to counter it. Perhaps Peep should designate them as terrorist groups and have the US military come and take them out. But then again they would go after the leaders as well. And I’m sure you would find these leaders in high office.
Isn’t the VF rep the same person who went to spill the beans for the IMPACS report? Ironic his constituency is being terrorised by the same lowlifes the police sought to corral? That’s the chickens coming home to roost. There is more to come considering the kinds of characters we have in parliament. Soon this entire country will be paralysed by gun violence and we will finally reach the designation of a failed state.
The government is lost and we’re now turning into little Haiti BBC
St.Lucia have already pass Haiti in Criminal Activity per Capita
People need to speak up bc everyone knows where and who is doin this…….orc3 tonight! Smph , u closing down schools in VF yet St. Lucia just awarded best honeymoon island in the world!…..U All gonna Phock it up! …… smph cool out, fight like men stop punnanyin around wit guns, Fists over Guns….smph……
While the Government and the police have some responsibility the persons most responsible is the people.
Many people in the communities know who the criminals are instead of turning them in they prefer to fight the police when the police comes to arrest them.
This is the results of those actions.
This is a national tragedy. Our schools are closed to protect our students from gun violence. St.Lucia is slowly going down the precipice of lawlessness. How can government allow this crime situation to escalate to that extent and there is no optimism that the future will be better. God help my beloved island in the sun.
I firmly believed the police forces are doing the best they can but within the force are a lot of cockroaches. St. Lucia politics has become a safe haven for criminals, criminal element individuals couple with a corrupted legal system. The magistrate courts to begin with is failing the security aspect of this nation not just the police force. Many magistrates who are sitting in courts are not doing their jobs correctly, i firmly believe an inquest should be expedite to all St. Lucian magistrate, and top officials who it may be needed to investigate. Jail some of the bankers who are covering up for those under there so call policy with regards to secrecy. We do not have the kind of qualified lawyer to tackle these cases. Soon it will happen on school compound, religious places and shopping malls. Look out!
Can anyone name just one role model the youths can emulate. It’s hard to get one, because everyone is in the same boat . Corruption begins at the highest level and has permeated the entire nation. Everyone is in it for self. Anything goes for the dollar.