CASTRIES, St Lucia – Prime Minister Stephenson King on Friday condemned the killing of a 30-year-old man who came to his constituency office apparently seeking employment, telling citizens that the incident “brings to the fore the serious challenges we face as a country, as a government and as a people”.
Police said they were searching for the unidentified gunman who eyewitnesses said escaped in a waiting motor vehicle.
King was inside his Castries North East constituency office in La Clery when the killing took place. He was not harmed and was never in danger.
National Security Minister Guy Mayers said that the prime minister’s security detail had ensured his safety.
“The first responsibility of the officer would be to make sure that the prime minister is secure before going after the perpetrator and obviously by the time he ensured that the prime minister was okay . . . the person was gone,” Mayers said, adding that Prime Minister King was shaken by the incident.
“It is unfortunate, that particular incident, it certainly brings to the fore the serious challenges that we face as a country, as a government and as a people,” the prime minister said in a prepared statement from his official residence swarming with heavily armed police.
He said it was a “situation that speaks very strongly that none of us in this country is safe and there is a need for each one of us to take control of the existing situation”.
King said that while he is confident that the police will be able to bring the crime situation under control, they needed the support of the public.
“The time has come for us to continue our endeavour to bring this country back to the level of peace and tranquility that once existed here in St Lucia,” the prime minister added. (CMC)
