The Government of Barbados has strongly condemned the latest outbreak of deadly violence in the country, pledging full support for law enforcement as investigations continue.
Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice, Michael Lashley, expressed condolences to the families of those killed and injured.
He said the escalation of gang-related retaliation and reprisal will not be tolerated, adding that national security forces will be empowered to use all lawful means necessary to restore order and protect communities.
Below is the full statement:
On behalf of the Government, I wish to express our sincere condolences to the families of those persons who passed away and deep regret to those who were injured in this recent act of senseless violence in our country.
The Barbados Police Service is actively pursuing its investigations into this matter and will continue that work with focus and urgency in order to swiftly bring those responsible to justice.
At the same time, it is clear that this apparent state of war between certain gangs of young men has spiralled completely out of control, with retaliation and reprisal now seemingly the order of the day. We will not tolerate this behaviour.
Let the word go out that, from this moment, the police and other national security forces will be empowered to use every lawful means at their disposal to bring this unacceptable situation under control and bring it to an end.
I urge every law-abiding Barbadian who loves this country to stand with the Police Service in this effort.
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