May 09, 2025
Anguilla, once known for its tranquility and close-knit community, is now facing an unsettling rise in gun violence, with two shootings in just one week leaving the island shaken. The latest tragedy unfolded today, May 9, along West End Main Road near the NCBA West Branch, where one person has been confirmed dead.
The Royal Anguilla Police Force (RAPF) remains on the scene, securing the area and enforcing roadblocks that have diverted traffic. But while authorities investigate, the community is left grieving, frustrated, and fearful—asking the same haunting question: How did we get here?
Another young life has been stolen, another family left in pieces, mourning a loved one who should have had years ahead of them. Anguilla’s youths—once filled with hope and dreams—now face a grim reality: Is their future defined by gunfire?
Parents should not have to bury their children. This island should not be a place where grieving families become part of a pattern, rather than an anomaly. What once was a peaceful refuge is now shadowed by uncertainty, forcing every household to question its safety.
This is the second shooting in one week—a pattern that demands immediate action. Yet, once again, police are on the scene rather than preventing the tragedy before it happened. The community must ask: Is law enforcement doing enough? Are leaders stepping up before this escalates further?
Security measures, investigations, and patrols are not enough if they do not stop the violence before another life is lost. Anguillians are owed more than reactive efforts—they need assurance, prevention, and decisive intervention before another family is broken.
This island once thrived in its quiet, non-violent culture, but now, uncertainty grips every resident. Parents fear for their children. Young people fear for their future. Families wonder if their loved ones will return home safely.
Anguilla must reclaim its peace—not with words, but with action. The youth deserve opportunities, not funerals. Families deserve security, not sleepless nights wondering if their child is next.
Gun violence does not define this island—but if nothing is done, it will.
