During Senate deliberations on the 2026 Firearms Amendment Bill, Barbuda Council Senator Fabian Jones has opened up about a terrifying armed robbery he endured last year while traveling between Barbuda and Antigua, using his personal experience to push for sweeping changes to how the Caribbean nation addresses rising gun violence.
The incident unfolded just after 7 a.m. on May 1, 2025, when Jones was en route to carry out routine constituency work for his Barbuda constituents. As he sat in his vehicle, an armed assailant approached, pressing a firearm directly to Jones’ face and attempting to snatch his bags. In an act of resistance, Jones grappled with the attacker, a choice that many later questioned, but one he stands by to this day.
“I was like, ‘Are you crazy?’ I mean, the guy pulling my bag has a gun in my face,” Jones recounted to fellow senators. Two shots rang out during the struggle: after the attack, Jones noticed a wet substance on his shoulder, confirming a bullet had been fired in close proximity, though he did not elaborate on whether he sustained a wound or detail the severity of any injury. Jones shouted to draw the attention of nearby onlookers during the attack, hoping witnesses would intervene and alert authorities.
When asked why he chose to fight back rather than surrender his belongings, Jones emphasized a core principle: people have a right to defend what legally belongs to them. Months after the robbery, Jones confirmed he learned one of the suspected gang members involved in the attack was killed in a police shootout after authorities tracked a suspect vehicle to a hideout.
Jones’ experience, he argued, lays bare the rapid deterioration of public safety across Antigua and Barbuda, a nation that relies heavily on international tourism as an economic backbone. He told the chamber that he regularly receives requests from anxious residents who now avoid high-crime areas entirely, asking the senator to run errands and shop on their behalf. For a country marketed globally as a safe, idyllic tourist destination, this level of fear is unacceptable, Jones stressed.
While Jones publicly supports the proposed Firearms Amendment Bill, which would introduce harsher prison sentences for firearms offenses, he warned that stiffer penalties alone cannot reverse the tide of gun violence. Instead, he laid out a multi-pronged plan to tackle the crisis at its source: first, law enforcement must map the routes illegal guns use to enter the country, seize unregistered weapons, and block these firearms from re-entering illegal circulation once confiscated.
Second, Jones called for a fundamental reset of community policing across the islands. He argued that effective public safety requires more than just random patrol cars driving through neighborhoods; officers must build trust and familiarity with local residents to understand emerging crime trends. As a model, he cited the late former Barbuda police officer widely known as “Pumpy,” who embedded himself in the community and built relationships that allowed him to address concerns before they escalated into violence.
Jones also criticized unprofessional conduct among some officers, saying he has observed multiple instances of police congregating on street corners with civilians and smoking marijuana. This behavior, he argued, emboldens criminals by sending a message that illegal activity will go unpunished.
The senator also pushed back on a controversial remark made by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who claimed that the country’s approach should encourage criminals to dispose of their weapons “any way they can.” Jones labeled the comment “loose” and inappropriate, saying it risks encouraging extrajudicial action rather than adhering to due process. While he supports fully equipping police to defend themselves when fired on by criminals, he insisted all action must remain within the bounds of the law.
Finally, Jones called attention to longstanding gaps in border security that he has been raising for years. He reminded the Senate that he previously brought concerns to former Prime Minister Lester Bird about a well-known smuggling tactic: small aircraft dropping illegal shipments of weapons into the ocean off the coast of Barbuda, where waiting speedboats retrieve the cargo and bring it ashore. While Jones acknowledged that routine baggage checks have improved in recent years, he said the country must continue strengthening border controls to cut off the supply of illegal guns at its source. Closing his testimony, Jones urged law enforcement and judicial officials to guarantee justice for all residents who have been harmed by the country’s growing gun violence crisis.