As schools in St Lucia reopen their doors for learning following a recent upsurge of gang violence in Vieux Fort, educators are urging gang members to put down their weapons.

This call is coming from Valerie St Helene-Henry, president of the National Principal Association who beseeched criminals to end the bloodshed which brought much of the town to a standstill.

“Put down the guns and try to reach an amicable solution to whatever is causing the violent crime, whatever is causing the war. From all indications, it’s a gang situation and it’s affecting people’s lives,” she said.

The educator further expressed that the recent incidents of gang violence in Vieux Fort can have devasting impact on the country’s economy including that of the tourism industry.

On Saturday (March 11) Prime Minister Philip Pierre announced that schools in Vieux Fort are set to resume Monday after their closure last week due to an upsurge in gang violence which resulted in seven deaths and the injury of a nine-year-old boy.

The prime minister explained further that the necessary steps were being taken to control the situation in Vieux Fort, including working with the rural police and contacting the Regional Security System (RSS) and other assets to provide security support in the coming week.