5 killed in St Vincent as the eastern Caribbean island fights a surge in crime

Authorities say five people have been fatally shot in the capital of St. Vincent as the eastern Caribbean island struggles with a rise in violent crime.

Police said in a statement Thursday that the victims were killed late Wednesday in Kingstown in an outdoor area near a cruise ship terminal.

No one has been arrested.

It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the shooting.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a cluster of islands of around 100,000 people. It has reported 35 killings so far this year compared with a record 42 last year.