Firearm-related crimes in Antigua and Barbuda have increased by approximately 33% this year, even as the country records an overall reduction in criminal activity, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has disclosed.

Speaking Saturday on the Browne and Browne Show, Browne said the number of firearm-related incidents rose from 18 in 2025 to 24 so far this year.

“We have a major problem in the escalation in firearms,” Browne said, describing the increase as concerning for a country unaccustomed to such levels of gun violence.

The prime minister said firearms are increasingly being used in robberies and killings, creating an urgent public-safety challenge.

Authorities have also removed 44 illegal firearms from the streets during the first eight months of the year.

Browne said the number of weapons recovered raises concerns about how many illegal firearms may still be circulating throughout the country.

The issue was among the matters discussed during a recent meeting of the National Security Council. Browne said officials examined the possible sources of the weapons and developed strategies to address their entry and circulation, but he declined to disclose operational details.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: VIDEO: Firearm-Related Crimes Rise 33% in Antigua and Barbuda.