Saint Lucia: 15-year-old Shinika Riley Phillip fatally shot amid rising violence in Castries

Saint Lucia: A 15-year-old girl, Shinika Riley Jean Phillip, was shot dead in a hail of bullets in Castries, Saint Lucia, on Wednesday night. The friends of the victim revealed that the victim had been warned multiple times to change her lifestyle and distance herself from dangerous associations.

The teenager was gunned down at around 7:30 pm with her friends expressing their devastation and highlighting that ‘she was a good friend.’

An unidentified friend of the victim who was visibly shaken by the loss said that she used to do things, but she was still young, and it is hard to come out from the things one is already doing. The friend added that she talked to her and told her that she needed to stop.

Another friend lamented and said that he heard the gunshots and went to the area only to find his friend lying on the ground. He said that a man did not have to kill a girl as she just turned 15 and this clear shows that people have no mercy. 

According to the initial reports, it is believed that Riley may have been engaged in various criminal activities, such as robbery, but the exact motive for her murder still remains unclear.

It is reported that on the evening of October 16, around 7:30 pm, the police officials from the Marchard Police Station responded to reports of gunfire in La Coudou, Castries.

As they arrived at the location, they saw Riley suffering from several apparent gunshot wounds. She was rushed to the Owen King European Union Hospital but was later pronounced dead by medical officials.

The community is now struggling with both grief and anger as it calls for urgent action against the escalating violence that has claimed several lives in Saint Lucia.

The murder also marked the 65th murder in Saint Lucia this year, raising concerns for the government as a whole.