Since the start of the year, Martinique has recorded 23 homicides, nearly two thirds of which were by firearm. On the night of Sunday, November 3, two people lost their lives again in a shooting in Fort-de-France.
Martinique is in shock. 23 homicides have been recorded since the start of 2024 in the territory. Among these murders, 16 were committed with firearms, a phenomenon which inspires a feeling of insecurity in several neighborhoods.
The latest shooting occurred in an apartment in a residence in the Rivière-Roche ZAC in Fort-de-France, on the night of November 3 to 4. During this attack, a “group of individuals armed with automatic weapons” burst in and shot those present. A 15-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman lost their lives.
Unrest and incomprehension reign in this neighborhood, although described as calm, where residents find themselves facing violence they had never experienced.
This tragic fact is unfortunately not an isolated case. At the very beginning of the afternoon, on October 11, nearly nine detonations resonated in the Four à Chaux district of Lamentin, heard by several witnesses. A man was shot and killed in broad daylight.
The day before, a young man of 20 was also killed by gunfire, in the parking lot of a shopping center in Robert, during urban violence on the sidelines of demonstrations against the high cost of living.
In June, the Four à Chaux au Saint-Esprit district also experienced a shocking incident. A couple was found dead in their home. The man and woman had bullet holes.
Earlier in the year, in the Mangles area of Lamentin, a 20-year-old young man also lost his life following a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Witnesses said they saw two men fleeing on a motorcycle shortly after the incident.
Another tragedy, this time in the middle of the town of Rivière-Pilote, a 33-year-old man was fatally injured by a gun on April 19 during an attempted robbery.
Even the family circle has not escaped these tragedies, because Martinique experiences not only acts of urban violence, but also domestic tragedies.
On August 21, five-year-old Uriel became the youngest victim of this deadly wave, shot dead during a family dispute.
A femicide also adds to the toll. Valentine's Day, a 22-year-old woman lost her life, killed by a man with whom she was in a relationship.
This year's figures are already approaching those of 2023, when 25 homicides were recorded.
This situation raises questions about citizen security and highlights the urgency of stemming the proliferation of firearms.
Martinique ranks 3rd among the French regions most affected by murders, behind Guyana and Guadeloupe. The homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the territory reached 6.9% last year.
