AP Report: US-Sourced Guns Fuel Caribbean Killing Surge

THE CARIBBEAN – The Associated Press reports that gun violence is surging across the region, with islands like Trinidad, Bahamas, and Jamaica reporting record or rising homicide rates.

This as Caribbean leaders continue to urge the U.S. to do more to curb the weapon flow.

In Turks & Caicos, police and soldiers launched a major operation recently to curb gun violence following a record 40 homicides this year. Authorities there say they targeted illegal firearms smuggled from the U.S.

During a recent budget presentation, Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley urged lawmakers to draft a bill to ban assault weapons and high-powered rifles.

Experts say many killings in the Caribbean are a result of gang-on-gang violence, but civilians are increasingly getting caught in the crossfire.