Browne Wants Penalties for Flashing Guns on Social Media
The Prime Minister says identifiable photos and videos of people displaying firearms should give police grounds to investigate, even when the weapon is not recovered.
Young people who flash guns on social media could face prosecution if lawmakers adopt a proposal raised by Prime Minister Gaston Browne in the House of Representatives.
Speaking during debate on the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, Browne said some young people had become brazen enough to display firearms in photos and videos online. He argued that police should be able to act when a person and a weapon can be identified, even if officers cannot later recover the gun.
Under the approach he suggested, a person shown holding a firearm would have to account for whether they were lawfully licensed to possess it. Browne said displaying a gun in those circumstances should carry the possibility of a jail sentence.
The Prime Minister linked the proposal to the fear that public displays of weapons can create in communities and to his concern that such posts may signal further violence.
Browne was calling on lawmakers to consider a change. His remarks did not mean that a new offence for displaying a firearm on social media had taken effect.
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Comments (3)
Fools in Paradise September 29, 2026, 1:28 PM
Idiot. Madman believe them go be bad forever!
Asking September 29, 2026, 1:35 PM
Isnt that the same dude that shot the three people?
Donna September 29, 2026, 2:07 PM
Asking. Is this Artificial Intelligence (AI) photo or real? I heard someone said the other day that it was AI generated photo. Whatever it is we don’t need guns in the hands of the young civilians, men and women in Antigua and Barbuda.