A Press Conference was called at Police Headquarters in the Valley on Tuesday 15th August, 2023, to inform the public of the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident on Friday 11th August, 2023, during the Parade of Troupes activity on the streets of The Valley.
Conducting the Conference was His Excellency the Acting Governor Mr. Paul Candler, the Honourable Premier Ellis Webster and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Robert Clark.
The Commissioner gave a summary of the tragic event which took place during the Parade: “At 5:57 p.m. on Friday, August 11th, we received [a] report of a shooting incident that took place in an area south of the Carnival Village, close to the Fair Play Mall. Police were in the area. They heard the shots and quickly responded. The police saw the suspect and pursued him. Upon challenging the suspect, the suspect fired a number of shots at a police officer, and the officer returned fire, wounding the suspect.”
“The suspect was brought under control,” he said, “and a weapon was recovered. The suspect received first aid treatment before being transferred to the hospital for surgery. The suspect remains at the hospital under police guard until such time that he is medically fit to be released. He will then be brought into the custody of the (Royal Anguilla Police Force) RAPF, [and] interviewed in relation to the circumstances of the crime.”
While the Commissioner could not disclose which country the culprit is from, he did say that he is in his twenties, he is not an Anguillian national, and he came to Anguilla for the Summer Festival. He praised the police officer who was able to apprehend the culprit. He said he was very proud of the officer and described his actions as being selfless in the midst of a clear and present danger to his own life.
“I want to assure the public that the RAPF is committed to removing guns from this island. From the first of July to August 15th, we have executed 15 warrants across the island; we have recovered 5 firearms; we have recovered 40 rounds of ammunition; we have arrested 24 persons in relation to our inquiries; and we have charged 5 of those persons. So, there is a commitment from the RAPF to work with the community, the Government and the Governor’s office to make this island safe.”
Meanwhile, the Acting Governor, Paul Candler said that the shooting incident at the Parade was a violation of life and peace of mind. “This was a very troubling incident for many reasons,” he said. “It was particularly shocking seeing that it happened in broad daylight, and that it happened at the end of the week of festivities.”
“This incident was not only a violation of life,” he said, “but it was a violation of peace of mind of the community, as well as a violation of the values of Anguilla. We can all agree that there is no place in Anguilla for such violent crime, and we must work together to reverse this trend.”
Mr. Candler said that he had spoken to UK officials about offering the RAPF the kind of support it needs to effectively fight against the blight of gun violence on the island.
The Premier, Dr. Ellis L. Webster, said that the issue of gun violence requires an all-society kind of attention. “We cannot tolerate these kinds of tragedies anymore,” he said. “This scourge of gun violence is one that will destroy our country if it continues. We must take meaningful action now. We are suffering the loss of our young men and we risk harm to innocent by-standers. Besides, we risk reputational harm done to Anguilla at large…The solution to this problem will require an all-society approach.”
To this end, he said that on Monday last, he met with religious leaders and members from civil society such as youth groups including Scouts and Guides. He said the meeting was also attended by government officials and the Leader of the Opposition, and discussions were held on the way to address this scourge going forward.
