Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has publicly stated that preliminary law enforcement intelligence points to a drug connection in the fatal shooting that took the life of 39-year-old Kerew Richards in Swetes Village this week. Speaking during an appearance on the locally broadcast Browne and Browne Show Saturday, the prime minister addressed growing public anxiety over a recent spike in violent criminal activity across the islands, and shared what preliminary information investigators have so far developed.
Browne clarified that his assessment is based on unconfirmed guidance from law enforcement agencies working the case. “I stand corrected, but I’m just saying that law enforcement officers have said to us that it’s drug-related,” Browne told listeners. The prime minister emphasized that the information remains preliminary and has not undergone full verification through the ongoing investigative process. As the probe continues, Browne also issued a public appeal to both local residents and immigrant communities to respect and abide by the national laws of Antigua and Barbuda.
The victim, Kerew Richards, was a resident of St. Ann’s Road in Swetes. His body was discovered shortly before 10 p.m. Friday on the outdoor verandah of a local residential property. Responding officers confirmed that Richards had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, which were determined to be the cause of his death. At this early stage of the investigation, official police spokespeople have not released any public statement confirming a potential motive for the killing, leaving open all lines of inquiry as detectives work to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.