St Kitts-Nevis police holding suspects after weekend of shootings

Police have three people in custody after two separate shooting incidents rocked the federation and resulted in three deaths.

On Friday evening, 37-year-old Lydia Jacobs was gunned down in her yard in Church Ground.

She was the second woman killed in Nevis this year, following the shooting of Morella Webb, 28, in April.

Over the weekend the St Kitts and Nevis Foreign Minister Mark Brantley described Jacobs as “a beautiful person inside and out’.

In the earlier hours of Saturday morning officers arrested one person in connection with the death, and he remains in custody.

Double shooting

Less than 24 hours later and the twin-island nation witnessed another gun-related murder, this time in Taylor’s Village, St Kitts.

Sean Smith, 41 and a resident of Taylor’s Village, died at the scene.

Lower Westbourne Street resident Dennis Liburd, 46, died later while undergoing treatment at hospital.

According to the Royal St Christopher and Nevis Police Force: “The victims were shot by an unknown assailant(s) while entering the yard of the injured victim [who later died].

Earlier today two people were taken into custody.

WIC News has reached out to the police for further information.

Investigations into both incidents continue.

Earlier today, former Chief Medical Officer Dr Patrick Martin told WINN FM of the financial strain violent crimes are having on the country.

“When persons are killed on the spot there’s no work for the health community except for the pathologist," he said.

"Otherwise than that if the person is injured, you have to factor in the work that has to be done by the ambulance service, the emergency room personnel in terms of resuscitation for one or two hours and then mobilising the operating theatre resources for another two to four maybe six hours of surgery, then possibly either intensive care or surgical ward admission for several days to weeks.

"You are talking about thousands of dollars, devoted to something that is avoidable. They are resources that should otherwise be directed to improving the health services.”