People in Massade, Gros Islet, are grieving after 34-year-old Julien Cedrick Agian was allegedly shot and killed by his cousin late Sunday night. The incident has brought renewed attention to mental health, public safety and gun violence in Saint Lucia.
Police said officers from the Gros Islet Police Station responded to a shooting in Massade at about 10:45 p.m. on May 17, 2026. Agian had gunshot wounds and was taken to the Gros Islet Polyclinic by private car, but he did not survive.
Police said one person is helping with the investigation. Family members linked the shooting to a close cousin of Agian.
A post-mortem examination has been scheduled for a later date.
Family and friends said Agian was caring and always lifted people’s spirits. His death has left them in shock.
“He was always the life of the party,” one grieving family member recalled during an emotional interview. “You could always go to him for advice. He always had something positive to say and always tried to guide people in the right direction.
“You could go to him feeling beat down, and he would make you feel like yourself again,” the family member said. “He would tell you, ‘Relax, things happen. Think about the positive that will come out of it.’”
The loss is even harder for the family because Agian’s wife is said to be pregnant.
Family members said they are still trying to come to terms with his death.
“I’m in denial,” the relative said. “I just kept thinking he got shot and he would pull through. I was waiting for him to call and say he was okay.”
Friends and community members also remembered Agian as kind, funny and always ready to help.
A close friend said the whole community is shaken by what happened.
“He was a very nice guy,” the friend stated. “He used to sit around, joke with everybody and help people. Everybody knew him as a good person.”
Several people interviewed said they are worried about how people with severe mental illness are treated, especially when there have been past threats.
Another close associate said the mental health system is not doing enough to monitor and treat people who are unstable.
“When somebody mentally unstable keeps threatening people, we can’t keep taking it lightly,” the man said. “People say, ‘That’s your cousin, leave him alone,’ until something like this happens.”
He said people who act violently or make threats should get longer-term psychiatric care before returning to the community.
“If somebody needs treatment, keep them there until they recover,” he said. “You can’t send them out the next day and expect everybody to be safe.”
The incident has led to more calls for stronger action against illegal guns and violence among young men.
One resident said communities need to get more involved in dealing with problems before they turn into tragedies.
“We cannot leave everything for the government and police,” he said. “If we see problems, we have to speak about it and try to stop it before things happen.”
Police are still investigating the homicide.
If you have any information about the incident, please contact the Gros Islet Police Station at 456-3830. You can also give anonymous tips by calling the Crime Hotline at 555 or using the RSLPF Crime Hotline app on the Google Play Store.
St. Lucia is not a real place anymore. I cannot – cannot, believe that’s the country where I was born. How are all these killings possible? No accountability…..
You all forget what the new okeu was built for. We somehow in denial today. When the taiwanese was funding that hospital and uwp lost to slp what did the Chinese diplomats said. Why such a huge structure for such a small population, now today the mental part being reduce and we are on the same barking line. St. Lucia is a check list for many mirror organizations but nothing substantially comes out of it.
St. Lucia is not learning. Too many people with mental issues with obvious violent inclinations roaming the streets.
Look at that Indian fella who for years has been harassing locals and tourists all over Castries and Rodney Bay. The boy threatening people all over the place when they don’t give him money, even want to fight with employees when they tell him to leave, but nothing for that, and he always have a knife hidden.
To see when he approaching the older tourists and going all in the people’s face to intimidate them for money, and nothing for that. It is as if the police do not care.
Ask any relatives who come down, and the same thing, the Indian fella was troubling them for money and start cussing and threatening them when they do not give him money.
As he always saying, one day he just stabbing somebody when they don’t give him money and he going Bordelais. For years, people asking the police to take that boy off the streets. Plus the boy have the gift that keeps on giving, that is why he always threatening to bite people …
I just know one day you will hear that mate do something to somebody.
Good
A next so call bad mun off the streets….
These fellas not serving no purpose….
I applaud the killer cause his ass will be lock up the rest of his life .. . 2 birds with one stone 🤣🤣🤣