Against a backdrop of growing concerns over spiking gun violence across the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, law enforcement authorities have announced a significant investigative breakthrough in one of the territory’s most recent homicide cases.
On April 29, formal charges were filed against Ketwan Hamilton, a resident of the Lime Kiln Project neighborhood, in connection with a fatal public shooting that claimed the life of 22-year-old Shamari Baptiste just 10 days prior. The shooting unfolded at the Royal Kingdom Snackette, a local food establishment in Lime Kiln, between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on April 20, 2026.
First responders arriving at the scene immediately found Baptiste unresponsive on the snackette’s floor. Investigators later confirmed the victim was a national of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who had been residing at Buckley’s Estate on St. Kitts. Preliminary accounts of the incident indicate Baptiste was simply waiting for his food order when an armed suspect approached him and opened fire, striking him in the neck. Baptiste was pronounced dead on site by responding emergency personnel.
In an official update released to the public Thursday, April 30, police confirmed the full scope of charges against Hamilton, which extend far beyond the murder count. In addition to murder, Hamilton faces charges for illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, discharging a loaded weapon in a public space, and possession of a firearm with the explicit intent to endanger human life. All charges were formally processed at the Basseterre Police Station.
This latest arrest marks a notable milestone in the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force’s ongoing crackdown on gun-related crime. With Hamilton’s arrest, police have now taken four individuals into custody linked to two separate recent shooting incidents on the island of St. Kitts, as authorities ramp up efforts to reverse the recent upward trend in violent firearm offenses across the federation.