A pre-general election political gathering hosted by Antigua and Barbuda’s ruling administration came to an unexpected and chaotic end Saturday night in St John’s, when multiple gunshots rang out across the venue, sending thousands of attendees scrambling for the exits.
The incident unfolded mid-performance from popular Jamaican dancehall recording artist Masicka, who was three songs into his set when the shots were heard, according to an anonymous on-site witness who spoke to media. Another well-known reggae performer, Sizzla, had already completed his performance earlier in the evening, and was not on stage when the disturbance broke out.
The rally was organized by the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), the incumbent governing party led by sitting Prime Minister Gaston Browne. The witness estimated that roughly 5,000 supporters and guests had gathered for the event, making it one of the larger campaign gatherings ahead of the upcoming national vote.
User-posted videos circulating widely on social media platform Facebook capture the chaotic scene: as the sound of multiple gunshots rings out over the performance, attendees can be seen turning abruptly, abandoning their belongings and rushing toward the venue exits in a frantic mass evacuation. No official reports of injuries or casualties had been released as of Sunday morning.
The disruption comes less than two months out from Antigua and Barbuda’s scheduled April 30 general election, a contest that is widely expected to be a tight race between the ruling ABLP and its primary rival, the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP). Political analysts have framed the 2024 election as a critical test of the ABLP’s incumbent popularity, with both parties ramping up campaign events across the island nation to mobilize voters ahead of polling day.