Police say they found markings on walls and buildings near the Green Hill shooting scene that they associated with a group, but declined to identify the markings or say whether they were connected to the killings of four people in the community late Friday.
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been faced with this gun-related violence, and visibly on the scene last evening, we noted some graphics that were marked on the walls, the buildings in its immediate vicinity,” acting Commissioner of Police Trevor “Buju” Bailey told a press conference in Kingstown on Saturday.
“Whilst I will not be specific with the markings, we were able to identify the association with these markings, and I call upon the young people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to be model citizens, to desist from the path of crime and violence,” the police chief said.
He said violence has no place in Vincentian society as it brings pain and discomfort to families; it disrupts community living, with people afraid to go out at night.
“This is not the St. Vincent and the Grenadines that we know. That is not the St. Vincent and the Grenadines that we love. This is not the St. Vincent and the Grenadines that any of us wants to continue.”
He assured the nation that the police force will do everything in its power to ensure that the country remains peaceful.
Bailey said gunfire erupted shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Friday and officers responding to the report found two bodies on a public road, a woman’s body inside a vehicle parked on the road, and another body on nearby land.
All four appeared to have gunshot injuries, he said at a press conference on Saturday.
Four other people were taken to hospital with gunshot injuries. Bailey said two were treated and discharged, while two remained under police supervision at the hospital.
Police did not disclose the names of the shooting victims. However, multiple reliable sources have told iWitness News that they are: Green Hill residents Steve King, 22, Antonio Samuel, 30, and Shaqueil Peters, 26, as well as Paul’s Avenue resident Shevon Chandler, 23.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Green Hill woman received injuries to her right hand; a 17-year-old male student received injuries to his right arm, right leg and left hand; a 28-year-old man received injuries to his right arm; and a 16-year-old mechanic received injuries to his left thigh, right forearm and left hand.
Speaking at the same press confernece, acting Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for crime-fighting, Brenton Smith said police had made no arrests in connection with the Green Hill shooting by the time of the press conference.
Investigators were working to establish what happened and identify those responsible, he said.
Smith cautioned against speculation about whether the killings were connected to a separate shooting at Ottley Hall at about 1 a.m. on Saturday, adding that any connection would have to be established through evidence.
Asked whether criminal groupings might be linked to the incidents, he said police would provide information after the investigation was concluded.
In response to a question about retaliatory violence, Bailey acknowledged that police had seen instances of one group striking back at another.
He condemned the violence and appealed to anyone with information about weapons or criminal activity to contact police.
The briefing’s question-and-answer session also addressed public concern about repeated shootings in public places and whether police had the situation under control.
Smith said the force’s first aim was to prevent crime and protect the public. He said police were increasing foot and mobile patrols in Kingstown and surrounding areas, strengthening intelligence-sharing between units and continuing random searches.
Smith said public feedback on the increased police presence in Kingstown had been positive, with residents contacting senior officers to say they felt more comfortable.
He said the patrols would continue, while acknowledging that the relationship between police and the public could still improve.
Bailey cited recent firearms recoveries as evidence of the police response. He said officers had seized an AR-15 rifle and more than 40 rounds of ammunition in Kingstown during the preceding week.
He also described an earlier patrol search in which officers found a firearm on an individual, who was arrested and charged with firearm and ammunition offences.
Smith said searches did not always result in weapons being found, but could deter people from carrying illegal firearms.
He said police operations to identify people involved in violent crime and recover illegal weapons would continue and, where necessary, be intensified.
Bailey said firearms were entering the country by air and sea, citing porous borders. He said the Coast Guard continued to patrol local waters and that police were working with regional agencies, including the Regional Security System, to combat trafficking.
Asked about scanners and surveillance at ports, Bailey declined to discuss operational details, saying police had made arrests at the airport and port in cases involving illegal substances.
Bailey said police continued to arrest people believed to be gang members, but that dismantling gangs would require legislative support.
He said the country did not have anti-gang legislation, while indicating that the issue was being discussed.
Smith urged parents, teachers and communities to pay closer attention to young people and their exposure to gang-related material online.
Asked whether police would follow up with residents affected by the shooting, Smith said officers would do so to assess the trauma they had experienced.
Police did not disclose what type of firearms were used in Green Hill, saying that information would be provided when available.
Smith said the homicide count for 2026 stood at 37 at the time of the briefing. Both officers urged the public to remain calm and share relevant information with police.
Smith also warned against circulating unverified allegations, photographs or voice notes, saying they could distress grieving families and potentially compromise investigations.