By Shanieka Smith

Features Writer

June 6, 2022 – The U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Puerto Rico are the most concentrated areas for gun crime in the region. Each is ranked among the top 10 for gun crimes globally.

On the global scale, the U.S.V.I. took the seventh place and almost 22 residents in every 100,000 people die of gun violence. Jamaica follows in the ninth place with 18 Jamaicans in every 100,000 dying by gun. As for Puerto Rico, it is ranked at the 10th position; 17 people in every 100,000 residents are killed by guns.

Meanwhile, Belize took the 12th spot globally. Fourteen in every 100,000 people die by the gun. The 14th area globally, where gun crimes are most prevalent is Trinidad and Tobago with about 13 deaths per every 100,000 people. Guyana ranked 18th with 11 deaths per every 100,000 residents, while the Dominican Republic ranked 19th globally with 10 deaths per every 100,000.

These statistics date back to 2016 and as of 2021, the United Nations recognized Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Kitts and Nevis among the 10 islands with the highest percentage of firearm death, and homicides rate per 100,000 population in the Caribbean. This means that even with the switch around of countries during these rankings, the Caribbean remains among the top list of countries where there is a saturation of gun related crimes.

These statistics often exclude British overseas Caribbean countries which are lumped in with the UK. However, crime in regional overseas British territories are more centered around financial secrecy and fraud rather than gun related offences.