Saint Lucia recorded 45 homicides between January 1 and August 18, 2026, with firearms accounting for nearly three quarters of the murders, according to the latest crime statistics released by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Mashama Sealy said all 45 homicides recorded during the period were classified as murders, with 33 involving firearms.
“For the period 1st January to 18th August 2026, a total of 45 homicides were recorded island-wide,” Sealy said.
“Of the 2026 homicides, all 45 were classified as murders. The majority of homicides were firearm-related, accounting for 73% or 33 out of 45 of all classified cases.”
Stabbings were the second most common method, accounting for nine incidents, while three involved blunt force trauma.
The figures underscore the continued prevalence of firearms in serious crime, with police also reporting the recovery of dozens of weapons and more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition since the beginning of the year.
Sealy said police recovered 43 firearms between January 1 and August 18.
“Of these, 35 are classified as lethal and 8 as less lethal,” she said.
Pistols accounted for the majority of recovered weapons, representing 63 per cent of the total.
The lethal firearms recovered included 29 pistols, one rifle, one shotgun, four revolvers, one flare gun, three air rifles, one air pistol and three munition firearms.
Police also recovered 1,572 live rounds and six non-live rounds during the period.
Sealy said the continued use of firearms in serious offences demonstrated the need for sustained efforts to remove illegal weapons from communities.
“The consistent use of firearms in both homicides and attempted murders underscores the ongoing proliferation of illegal weapons and highlights the urgent need for robust firearm suppression strategies which we are implementing by working with our partners and by continuing our operations,” she said.
Despite the number of murders recorded, police have detected 20 of the 45 cases.
“To date 20 of the 45 murder cases have been detected representing a detection rate of 44 percent,” Sealy said.
The police statistics come amid continued efforts to tackle violent crime and illegal firearms through intensified enforcement operations.
The high proportion of firearm-related murders has placed weapons suppression among the central challenges facing law enforcement, while the recovery of 43 firearms and more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition highlights the scale of the illegal weapons problem confronting authorities.
The police are continuing to work with partner agencies and conduct targeted operations as they seek to disrupt the supply of illegal firearms and improve the detection of serious crimes.