Homicides on the rise in Dominica

It happened suddenly and without warning. On Christmas Eve as Jerve Zepe Mason leaned casually on his bike on the main road in Bath Estate a vehicle quietly pulled up alongside and shots rang out. Zepe seriously wounded made a despairing dive down a shallow precipice hoping to get away. He did not survive.

The death of Zepe in a drive by shooting was just the latest in a string of drive byes that have stunned the Dominican community. Just two weeks earlier two young men from Cottage were gunned down in Savanne Paie as they stood casually on the roadside.

In September an innocent bystander Jeanyves Bruno was fatally shot less than half a mile from the latest shooting as he waited for transportation to take him to work. All told 23 young persons have died violent deaths in Dominica this year, nine in the last quarter. In 2024 the number stood at 10.

Police appear helpless to stem the onslaught of death and mayhem. Suspects are in custody for 10 of the 23 homicides.

Earlier this month a list dubbed ‘Possie the Graveyard Remainders’ began making the rounds. It contained the names of 17 young men considered to be next on ‘d death row.’ Police appear clueless, unable to trace the source of the list, or stem the deteriorating rise in violent crime.

As we exit 2025 and move into the new year it does appear certain that more young men will die senseless deaths at the hands of their fellow countrymen. These are young people denied job opportunities, unable to find work in their own country.

They however have access to high caliber weapons apparently coming through Dominica’s porous borders, and capable of wreaking death to those on the receiving end.

The obvious question is when will the Police act decisively to nip this problem in the bud. When will they do something to show the public that they are serious about fighting violent crime in Dominica. A traumatized public awaits.