MP Sherfield Bowen asks where the illegal guns are coming from in Antigua and Barbuda
Deputy Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) member Sherfield Bowen is pressing the government to take urgent and decisive action to curb the surge in violent crime across Antigua and Barbuda.
Speaking during a UPP town hall meeting on Tuesday night, themed “Mismanagement of State Funds and Upsurge in Crime,” Bowen raised concerns about the steady inflow of firearms onto the island.
His comments follow the tragic killing of local businessman Charlie Barnes, who was gunned down outside his home in Ottos recently—a case that has further heightened public alarm over escalating violence.
Bowen called for a comprehensive national strategy to tackle the proliferation of guns, pointing out that the easy access to weapons poses a direct threat to communities and undermines public safety.
The same gun you used to KILL THE WOMAN
It’s like the pot calling the kettle black. A man with that kind of history should not be the one lecturing the public about guns and crime
You tell us, Bowen! You are not exactly the poster boy for safe, responsible use of firearms. If you murdered a young female ex-lover as aĺleged, then you are a murderer. You are a killer, a gun-wielding killer, and no amount of blue paint can ever erase the red blood from your killers. So just stand down at let a less notorious ex-convict speak on the topic. But that in itself might be an impossible task.
Imagine Sherfield Bowen talking about gun crime when he himself killed a woman with a firearm. That is the height of hypocrisy. He is the last person who should be preaching about curbing violence.
Bowen is shameful. I wouldnt even utter the word “gun” if i were you i wouldnt bother come here and talk about gun.
Bowen really need to sit down and check himself before trying to lecture anybody about crime. The same Sherfield Bowen who was once convicted of shooting a man now coming to preach about gun violence? That’s pure hypocrisy.
Yes, crime is a serious issue and the government must do more, but Bowen is the wrong messenger. Instead of trying to score political points at a town hall, he should be showing genuine solutions and working with all sides to help fix the problem. When someone with his track record starts calling for “urgent action,” it doesn’t come across as sincere—it looks like opportunism.
If the UPP really wants to be taken seriously on crime, they need credible voices leading that discussion, not people with questionable pasts trying to capitalize on the fear in the country.
UPP serious? Out of all their members, they send Bowen to speak on gun violence? That shows they not serious about crime fighting at all
Let him who has no sin cast the first stone.
Bowen need to hush his mouth. After his past actions that took a woman’s life, how can he stand up and criticize anybody about gun violence? People don’t forget so easy
Bowen should focus on making peace with his own past before pointing fingers. Talking about gun crime when you already contributed to bloodshed is nothing short of shameful.